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The Autobiography of a Donkey 




























































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Illustrated Animal 
Autobiographical Series 

NEDDY 

^t>he Autobiography 

DONKEY 

6>dtied by^ 

Charles WelsK. 


H M Caldwell Co. 

BOSTON -NEW YORK 




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Copyright , iQOg 
By H. M. Caldwell Co. 


COLONIAL PRESS 

Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds &* Co. 
Boston , U. S. A. 


PREFACE 


The leading incident of this autobiog- 
raphy of a donkey actually occurred, and 
the scene at the police station was described 
by the Times newspaper in London at the 
time of the trial. Two others are taken 
from a French source. 


4 


« 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I. Neddy’s Earliest Recollections 


PAGE 

. 11 

n. 

Neddy’s First Lesson 


• 

. 33 

hi. 

Neddy Runs Away . 



. 49 

IV. 

Neddy’s Trick, and What 

Came 

OF 

It 63 

y. 

Neddy at the Fair . 

• 

• 

. 83 

VI. 

Neddy Changes Masters 

• 

• 

. 95 

VII. 

Neddy Travels 

• 

• 

. 117 

VIII. 

Neddy Gets Home Again 

• 

• 

. 151 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


♦ 


PAGE 

Neddy ....... Frontispiece 

“I WAS NEVER TIRED OF ADMIRING MY LONG 

SOFT EARS” 39 

“ She jumped up quickly with a little scream ” 59 

“ At length my adversary, losing iiis bal- 
ance, FLEW OVER MY HEAD ” . . . . 102 

“ I WAS LET OUT BY THE HOUR ” . . . . 126 

“ I WENT RIGHT UP TO MY MISTRESS ” . . . 143 












I 
























CHAPTER I. 


NEDDY S EARLIEST RECOLLECTIONS 
























* 


































NEDDY 


CHAPTER I. 

MY EARLIEST RECOLLECTIONS I FIND MY MOTHER 

RATHER A DULL COMPANION I MAKE FRIENDS 

WITH OLD THOMAS THE RETURN OF MY MAS- 
TER^ FAMILY MY FIRST INTERVIEW WITH MY 

DEAR MISTRESS ANNIE AND I BECOME GREAT 

FRIENDS. 

This is the Story of a Donkey written 
by himself! It is not the first time that 
such an indiscretion has been committed, 
and doubtless it will not be the last. And, 
indeed, if I did not think I had something 
pleasant to tell, I would not trespass upon 
your patience; but now, as in my old age 
I quietly graze through the summer days 
in my pleasant green field, or keep myself 
13 


NEDDY 


warm in my comfortable winter shed, I 
often think over my past career; and it 
seems to me to have been so full of strange 
events that I am induced to jot down some 
of its most stirring incidents, in the hope 
that, while my faults may be a warning to 
some, the good resulting from an earnest 
desire to do my duty may be a comfort and 
encouragement to all. 

My first recollection is of lying quietly 
down by my mother’s side on the soft green 
grass of a large field. Very pleasant it 
looked to me, as I lay there under the 
shadow of a great oak-tree, and looked out 
upon the sunshiny landscape ; and I thought 
I should never be tired of being there quite 
still, and admiring all the wonderfully beau- 
tiful objects which met my eyes whichever 
way they turned. 

But as soon as I began to grow a little 
stronger, this state of inaction became tire- 
some. My curiosity was aroused to see what 
there might be beyond my own little world; 
and many a frisk I took away from my 
mother’s side, to peep over a hedge into an- 

14 


NEDDY 


other field, and amuse myself by looking at 
some animals very different from ourselves, 
which my mother said were cows; but I 
did not admire their shape so much as I did 
our own; and, as to their horns, I did not 
think them half so pretty as our ears. Then, 
when I had looked at the cows till I was 
tired, off I would gambol to where an iron 
fence separated our field from a long slop- 
ing lawn, bright with beds of many-coloured 
flowers. Every day I seemed to spy out 
something more beautiful than before; and 
I would gallop back to my mother, and ask 
her to come and look too, and tell me what 
was the name of this or that wonderful new 
thing. 

But my mother was not of so adventur- 
ous a spirit ; or perhaps she was getting old, 
and did not like to be troubled with my 
endless questions. She was very ready to 
tell me what little she knew; but she was 
not the least desirous of increasing her own 
stock of knowledge. 

“ Ah, my son! ” she would say sometimes, 
as she gave her ears a melancholy shake, 
15 


NEDDY 


“ I foresee there is a great deal of unhap- 
piness in store for you. Why must you 
always be spying into that which does not 
concern you? Why are you not content to 
stay quietly by your mother’s side? When 
you are my age you will know the wisdom 
of just simply enjoying your tuft of grass, 
or drink of water, without troubling your 
head as to what the rest of the world are 
doing.” 

“ Very likely,” I replied, with a kick of 
disdain, for I was a pert young donkey 
from my earliest years; “ but as I am not 
so old as you are by a long way, you need 
not expect that I should consider munching 
grass from morning to night is the per- 
fection of happiness. I want to know what 
life is, and what goes on beyond this field. 
I declare I get sick to death of hearing you 
munch, munch, munch, as if you had not 
a thought beyond your nose.” 

“Ah, my son!” said my mother, sadly, 
“ you will know what life is soon enough, 
never fear, and what work is, and poor fare, 
and hard blows; and then, when your back 

16 


NEDDY 


aches, and your sides are sore, you will re- 
member your mother’s words, and think 
that, if you could but get back again into 
this pleasant field, you would trouble your- 
self very little with what is going on in the 
outer world.” 

For a moment I was silent. Work, poor 
fare, and hard blows were not pleasant- 
sounding words. I had never heard them 
before, and began to wonder what they 
meant; but my mind was suddenly dis- 
tracted by a sound behind the hedge; off 
I scampered to see what it might be, and, 
by the time I came back to my mother’s 
side, I had forgotten the expressions that 
had alarmed me, and was as full of tricks 
and gambols as I had been before. 

But though my mother was not fond of 
conversation, I gathered, from words which 
she would occasionally let fall, sufficient to 
make me understand that we belonged to 
a gentleman of good property; that my 
mother’s business was to draw his wife in 
a little carriage, she being in delicate health ; 
and when I asked why I had never seen 
17 


NEDDY 


her doing this, she told me the family had 
all been away for some time, but that she 
should be glad when they came home again, 
for they were all very kind to her, and often 
brought her some nice things, such as a car- 
rot, or some cabbage leaves, or occasionally 
even a small feed of grain. 

The idea of these dainties made my mouth 
water, and I began to be as impatient as 
my mother for the return of my master’s 
family, hoping that I, too, might come in 
for a share in her good fortune. So anxious 
was I to know when they were coming that 
at length my incessant teasing became un- 
bearable to my mother, and she angrily told 
me 44 to go and ask that old man on the lawn 
there, for he was the only person the least 
likely to be able to gratify my curiosity.” 

It was very easy to say, 44 Ask,” but how 
was I to make him understand what I 
wanted to know? Not but that we were 
very good friends. I had made his ac- 
quaintance some time ago, during one of 
my visits to the iron fence which shut me 
out from my favourite flower-garden. At 

18 


NEDDY 


first, when he had come near me, I was much 
frightened, and scampered away as hard as 
I could; but he called out so pleasantly, 
“Wo — so ho, little Neddy!” that, though 
I did not know that was my name, I was 
sure he meant me, and so I summoned up 
courage to turn around and look him in the 
face. And a very kind face it was; and 
he held out his hand so coaxingly that I 
was induced to come a few steps forward; 
but then my heart misgave me, and I took 
two bounds back. 

“ Whoo! little Neddy — whoo! ” said the 
kind voice again. “ Sure Thomas will not 
hurt you. Come, my little man; come and 
be scratched.” 

Such an invitation was irresistible. Again 
I turned, walking a few steps toward my 
new acquaintance; then I stopped. 

“ Come ! come ! ” said the voice again ; 
and I made a few steps more in advance. 
Again I heard myself encouraged; and 
now I had approached near enough, by 
stretching out my neck, to smell whether 
there was any mischief in the hand that was 
19 


NEDDY 


stretched out toward me. No; all seemed 
safe; and the hand was held steady till I 
had been able to sniff all around it, and 
satisfy myself that no harm was intended 
me. Then the hand was gently raised to 
my head, and the pleasantest sensation I 
had ever felt in my life passed through my 
whole body. Oh, how soothing, how delight- 
ful was that rubbing and scratching! and 
I browsed against my new friend, and 
looked up in his face, as much as to say: 
“ Oh, do it again! please, do it again!” 

What! you like it, little Neddy; you 
like it, do you? ” said the kind voice. “ Ah! 
I thought we should soon be friends.” 

Friends I should think we were. From 
that day forth I was always on the lookout 
for Old Thomas; and no sooner did I see 
him come on to the lawn than I would gal- 
lop up to the iron fence, kick up my heels, 
and bray out my welcome in my loudest 
voice — though, by the way, I soon began 
to perceive that this was not the most pleas- 
ing style of address to my friend. 

“There, Neddy, there,” he would say; 

20 


NEDDY 

“ that is quite enough of that noise. Be 
quiet; do.” 

At first, I must confess, my vanity was 
much hurt; I felt inclined to turn my back 
and take no further notice of my friend; 
but I was soon sensible that I should be the 
loser by such folly; and so, wisely endeav- 
ouring to alter my mode of salutation, I 
rubbed my nose against the iron fence, and 
made the softest and most whinnying tones 
of which my voice was capable. It had 
the desired effect. Old Thomas evidently 
saw that I had got the better of my little 
tempers, and was trying my best to be pleas- 
ant; and so he would put down his rake 
or his hoe, or leave the flowers he was tying 
up, and bring me a few carrots, or an apple 
or two, or something equally good; and, as 
he was feeding me, he would say, kindly: 

“ Ah, little Neddy, you are a good- 
hearted little beast! full of spirits, but not 
a bit of vice about you; and you will be 
a rare beauty one of these days, that you 
will. How my young missus will admire 
you!” 

21 


NEDDY 


And then I would rub myself against his 
hand, and look up in his face, as much as 
to say: 

“Who is young missus? Tell me.” 

And so, by degrees, as I say, we had 
grown quite intimate, and I could under- 
stand almost everything Thomas said to me ; 
but I was grieved to find he did not com- 
prehend my meaning so easily; so that it 
was very difficult to get an answer to what 
I wished to ask him. Sometimes he would 
say: 

“ Why, Neddy, you have got such intel- 
ligent eyes, you look almost as if you could 
speak. I wonder what you have got to say 
to me. Is it more carrots you want, eh, 
Neddy? ” and he would hold out a carrot 
so close to my mouth that, though that was 
not what I wanted at all, for the life of me, 
I could not resist the temptation of eating 
it ; and so Thomas misunderstood my mean- 
ing, and went away, thinking, perhaps, 
what a greedy little donkey I was, while 
all the time I was only seeking for instruc- 
tion and information. Ah, well! I have 

22 


NEDDY 


listened since then to what many a man has 
said of his neighbour or his friend, and I 
have come to the conclusion it is not only 
donkeys whose earnest longings after truth 
must remain ungratified, and whose best 
actions are liable to be misinterpreted. If 
man cannot understand his fellow men, no 
wonder he knows very little of what we are 
thinking. 

On that day when my mother was angry 
with me for teasing her, and told me to be 
off and ask Old Thomas, I felt piqued and 
angry. 

“ Who knows,” thought I, “ perhaps I 
can make him tell me, and then there will 
be a triumph, for mother only sends me to 
him because she is cross, and because she 
thinks I shall never be able to find out.” 
So, putting on my most pleasing manners, 
— for we can all seem to be very good- 
humoured when we have got any end to 
gain by it, however cross we feel inside all 
the while, — I galloped up to the iron fence, 
and began whinnying in my most engaging 
tones. It was not long before I attracted 
23 


NEDDY 


the notice of Thomas, who, looking up from 
his work, said, in his usual kind tone: 

“ Ah, little Neddy, you are come, are you? 
I have nothing for you to-day.” 

Now, though I quite understood this dis- 
appointing announcement, I was not one 
bit more inclined to go away. I had come 
for a particular purpose, and I was deter- 
mined to accomplish it, if possible. Our 
race have the character of being obstinate; 
and, though I like to dignify it by the name 
of perseverance, I suppose I am no better 
than the rest of my species. Anyway, I 
began a series of gambols, such as generally 
succeeded in bringing Old Thomas to my 
side; but in vain. I kicked my best kicks, 
gambolled around in circles, pricked up my 
ears, and even tried a short, very short, bray. 
It was all to no purpose. Thomas went 
steadily on with his work, paying no atten- 
tion to all my tricks. At length, sick of 
an exhibition which attracted no admirers, 
I was on the point of returning to my moth- 
er’s side, very much out of humour, when 
suddenly I saw Thomas leave off work for 

24 


NEDDY 


an instant, and, resting on his spade, he 
looked toward me. This was encourage- 
ment enough; and again drawing near the 
fence, I began rubbing my nose against 
it more wistfully than before. 

“Poor little Neddy!” he said, as he 
walked slowly up to me; “you will soon 
have a better playfellow than I am.” 

I pricked up my ears at these words. 
“ Ah! ” thought I, “ now it is coming.” 

“You see I have no time to waste with 
you to-day, Neddy,” continued Thomas. 
“ I have got to get the place to rights. 
The master’s coming home. Can you under- 
stand that, Neddy? ” 

Understand it? Of course I could; and 
I rubbed my head against Thomas’s hand 
to ask him to go on. 

“ And when he comes, he must not see 
so much as a leaf out of its place,” said 
Thomas. “No bits of carrots left by the 
fence, my little donkey. But it is not long 
you will be left without a bite of summat, 
I guess. When Miss Annie sees you, I am 
very much mistaken if she does not give 
25 


NEDDY 


you more than ever Old Thomas did. You 
will forget your old friend then, maybe, 
Neddy.” 

Now somehow, though his voice sounded 
sorrowful as he said these words, I was so 
overjoyed at having made the discovery 
that the family were returning that I paid 
no heed to Thomas’s grief. My only 
thought was to get back to my mother, and 
tell her the news as fast as possible. So, 
breaking from the kind hand that was strok- 
ing me, I turned hastily away. 

“ Ah, it is just like ’em all! ” I heard Old 
Thomas say. “ Men and beasts, they be 
much alike; they will come fast enough if 
they think you have got anything for them; 
and then, when they have got all they can, 
off they go like a shot, without so much as 
a ‘ Thank ye.’ ” 

I hardly noticed the words then. I was 
very young, very conceited, and much 
spoiled; but I have often thought of them 
since, when I have known what it was to 
have my own heart well-nigh broken by the 
unkindness of others. Ah me ! it is all very 

26 


NEDDY 


well for old folks to preach. The young 
ones will never pay a whit more heed to 
anything we may say than we did to our 
fathers. Every one must buy his experi- 
ence for himself. Happy he who pays least 
dearly for it! 

A day or two after my last conversation 
with Thomas, as I was frisking about the 
field, feeling in more than usually high 
spirits, I suddenly heard a voice exclaim: 

“ Oh, look, look, papa! Did you ever see 
such a little darling? ” 

My natural self-sufficiency leading me in- 
stantly to suppose that this term could apply 
to no other than myself, I turned immedi- 
ately in the direction of the speaker, and 
for a moment stood astonished as I saw a 
beautiful little girl running toward me. 
Whether it was that she came so fast toward 
me, or whether it was that she was so un- 
like Thomas, or anything I had ever seen 
before, I cannot say; but a panic seized 
me, and without waiting to give a second 
look, I galloped off, and never stopped till 
I found myself safely by the side of my 

27 


NEDDY 


mother. Then I took courage to look up, 
and saw that my pursuer had also given up 
the chase. 

Finding this was the case, and embold- 
ened also by seeing that my mother showed 
no sign of alarm, I peeped out again, and 
then went a few steps in advance. 

“ Gently, Annie, gently, my love,” I 
heard the elder person say. “ Do not 
frighten the little thing. Let us find it 
something to eat; it will come then.” 

“ Oh, yes, papa! Thomas says it comes 
up every day to be fed. I will run and 
fetch some carrots; may I?” 

Permission being given, oiF ran the little 
girl, and by the time she returned, I had 
sufficiently mastered my emotion to ap- 
proach with a tolerable degree of self-pos- 
session. Still, it was not without consider- 
able alarm that I saw Annie come inside 
the fence, and walk up to where I was stand- 
ing; and I confess I should have been glad 
to have had a protection between us. I dare 
say you think this was very silly; and so 
it was. But can you never remember, kind 

28 


NEDDY 


reader, the time when your faults or your 
follies made you wish to keep the fence be- 
tween your best friend and yourself? How- 
ever, this was the last time I ever committed 
such a mistake with Annie. 

From that day forward we became the 
best of friends. I never was so happy as 
when I was with her, and few days passed 
without two or three visits from her. Some- 
times she would coax me back with her to 
the house, and even take me with her into 
one of the sitting-rooms. 

But I did not like those visits, and always 
escaped from them when I could. It was 
quite contrary to my nature to behave with 
the degree of quiet propriety which was 
necessary in society. My mistress schooled 
and taught me to the best of her ability, and 
I did what I could to follow her instructions ; 
but I am afraid I was not at all an apt 
scholar. I never felt at my ease in a room 
fitted up with all sorts of strange, queer- 
looking things, of which I did not under- 
stand the use, and which I always dreaded 
I should knock down and destroy, and so 
29 


NEDDY 


get into disgrace; and I took pains to show 
her I only came into the house to obey her, 
and not from any wish of my own. I think 
she understood me, for she would often say, 
in her kind, caressing way: 

“ Oh, Neddy! you like being out in the 
fields, frisking about, better than coming 
into the drawing-room. I can see that 
plainly enough. But, Neddy, you must 
remember you must learn to behave like a 
well-bred little donkey; for if you spend all 
your life frisking about on the grass, you 
will grow up so ignorant that I shall be 
quite ashamed of you. And, after all, you 
are much better off than I am. I sit for 
hours, and hours, and hours, quite still, 
learning my lessons, and you — you stupid 
little thing ! — you are tired if you stand 
still for five minutes together. Ah, Neddy! 
you have a great deal to learn before your 
education is finished.” 

And so I had, though I did not know it 
then; and, like a thoughtless little creature 
as I was, I did not trouble my head about 
what was to take place in the future, — per- 

30 


NEDDY 


fectly content to go gambolling about in 
the enjoyment of the happy present. 

Those were pleasant times, and my mem- 
ory likes to go back to them. It is aston- 
ishing how fond the old are of recalling the 
enjoyments of their young days; and per- 
haps they are a little apt to forget that what 
is so very pleasant to themselves is rather 
tedious to others ; so I shall keep the remem- 
brance of the first three happy years of my 
life for my own consolation, and pass rap- 
idly on to the more stirring part of my 
existence. 


31 





CHAPTER II. 


NEDDY S FIRST LESSON 








NEDDY 


CHAPTER II. 


MY MISTRESS LEAVES HOME ON HER RETURN I 

DO NOT KNOW HER MY FIRST LESSON, AND 

WHO WAS THE BEST MASTER. 

My master’s family had been away from 
home for a long, long time, — so long that 
I had almost given up hope of seeing them 
again, and was getting very impatient; be- 
sides, my life in the field was very dull. My 
mother had left it some time ago, and I 
never heard anything of her now. Not that 
I regretted that very much. She had long 
since ceased to think about me, and had cen- 
tred all her affection upon a younger child. 
Still, as long as she was in the field, she was 
some sort of companion for me, and I was 
now growing to an age to be impatient of 
solitude, and to wish for more stirring occu- 
pation than wandering around and around 
the meadow by myself, and having nothing 
35 


NEDDY 


to do but to eat and to drink. Occasionally, 
indeed, I still saw Old Thomas; but our 
intercourse was not so frequent as it used 
to be, and, indeed, was of quite a different 
kind. I no longer felt it consistent with 
my dignity to frisk and gambol about; and 
even when kindnesses were offered to me, 
I could, when I pleased, assume an air of 
such perfect indifference that I think, if 
my mistress could have seen me, she would 
have acknowledged I was rapidly acquiring 
that manner of society about which she was 
always instructing me. In fact, my perfect 
self-possession and entire indifference to 
the feelings or comforts of any one but 
myself would not have disgraced the most 
well-bred exquisite in the land. 

Matters were in this state, when one day, 
as I was standing all alone under the oak- 
tree, thinking over my own perfections, and 
how unworthy my position was of my de- 
serts, I suddenly heard a well-remembered 
voice call: “Neddy! Neddy!” Turning 
quickly around, I was on the point of going 
to meet the speaker, when, instead of the 

36 


NEDDY 


little girl I knew as my mistress, I beheld 
a tall, elegant-looking lady coming toward 
me. So, putting on my most dignified air, 
I stayed quietly under the great tree, lazily 
moving my ears, as much as to say: “ Here 
am I; if you want me, you must come to 
me.” 

“ What, Neddy! do you not remember 
me? Have you forgotten your mistress? 
Oh, Neddy, you ungrateful donkey!” 

She spoke so kindly, and yet so sorrow- 
fully, that I felt pained to the heart, not 
only at my stupidity in forgetting her, but 
at my folly in having tried to play off my 
grand airs before her. Still, I did not like 
to acknowledge myself to have been in the 
wrong; and so, instead of doing what my 
heart dictated, and galloping instantly to 
meet her, I contented myself with coming 
a few steps forward, and then standing 
perfectly still. I was properly punished for 
my pride when I heard my mistress say, 
as she turned to her father, who had just 
joined her: 

“ Oh, papa, would you believe it? Neddy 

37 


NEDDY 


has quite forgotten me. I have always 
heard donkeys are stupid and incapable of 
feeling attachment; but I thought Neddy 
would be an exception. Oh, papa, I am 
so sorry! ” 

“ Neddy, Neddy,” she added, as she held 
out her hand, “ you do not know how you 
have grieved me.” 

To hear myself so kindly spoken to, when 
I had deserved such different treatment, 
completely broke down my obstinate pride, 
and, trotting up to my mistress as fast as 
I could, I began to rub my head against 
her hand, and to whinny out my sorrow for 
my past misconduct and my promises of 
amendment for the future, — excuses which 
my kind mistress was only too ready to re- 
ceive; in a few minutes our reconciliation 
was complete, and I felt happier than I had 
done for months past. 

“ Poor Neddy! ” said my kind mistress, 
as she continued to caress me ; “I ought 
to have remembered that I am as much 
changed as you are yourself. Is he not 
altered, papa? ITe is not nearly so pretty 

38 



tired of ad 
soft ears. 

















NEDDY 


as he was when he was little; but he is a 
very handsome donkey still. Do you not 
think so, papa? ” 

Could there be a doubt upon such a sub- 
ject? Why, the very idea put me into an 
ill-humour, so completely had I brought 
myself to believe that I was one of the most 
beautiful creatures in the world. Often and 
often had I stood for the hour together in 
the clear water of the brook whichr ran at 
the bottom of the field, and as I saw my 
image reflected in the water, I was never 
tired of admiring my long soft ears and the 
bright brown of my coat. Ah, well! when 
we live very much alone, we are apt to get 
very false impressions. It is only by mixing 
with our fellows that we learn to estimate 
our merits aright. Pushing through the 
world rubs off the sharp angles wonder- 
fully. 

I was so engrossed with my own thoughts 
of mortified vanity that I did not hear what 
passed between Mr. Morton and his daugh- 
ter, till suddenly my ears caught the sound: 

“ Thomas shall break him in, my love, 

39 


NEDDY 


and then you shall drive him in the little 
chaise.” 

“ Oh, I shall like that! ” replied my mis- 
tress. “ Can it be done at once, papa? ” 

“ Yes, directly Thomas is at leisure.” 

“ Then good-bye, Neddy, for to-day,” 
continued my mistress, as she again patted 
my forehead; “we shall soon be better ac- 
quainted. I wonder whether you will like 
drawing me in the carriage as well as play- 
ing with me in the field. Ah, Neddy! will 
you be a good little donkey, and trot along 
as fast as I know you can trot when you 
like to? ” 

I rubbed my head against her by way of 
reply, and then, when she left me, began 
to muse not overpleasantly on the words she 
had just spoken. I had no very clear idea, 
certainly, of what they meant, but they con- 
veyed a sort of shadowy notion to my mind 
that my days of liberty were over, and that 
now I was to be put to some such work as 
I had often seen my mother doing. I used 
to remonstrate with her then, on allowing 
herself to be so tamely yoked to the chaise, 

40 


NEDDY 


drawing it about in all weathers, and tiring 
herself to death dragging it up steep hills 
and over stony roads; and when she would 
gravely shake her head, and say, with a 
gentle sigh: “It was her destiny; it was 
better to yield to it with a good heart, and 
do her duty cheerfully, than to resist and be 
beaten,” I used to jeer at her for a meek- 
spirited creature, who had not pluck enough 
to stand up in her own defence, and tell her 
when my turn came she would see a very 
different state of affairs. 

“ My son,” my mother would reply, “ if 
you think you have come into the world 
merely to amuse yourself, you make a very 
great mistake. We have all our allotted 
tasks. They must be done. Happy those 
who can find pleasure in doing them! Take 
my advice. You are placed here to be the 
servant of those much stronger and wiser 
than yourself. If you resist their will, you 
will smart for it with kicks and blows. If 
you try to do your duty faithfully, you will 
find it will bring its own reward.” 

My mother seldom made so long a speech ; 

41 


NEDDY 


and, finding I paid but little attention, she 
did not again trouble me with her advice; 
and, indeed, I soon forgot her words, till 
they were brought back to my recollection 
by those of my young mistress, and a very 
uncomfortable feeling they gave me. 

The following day I was busy eating my 
breakfast, when I saw Thomas come into 
the field holding something in his hand. 
My suspicions being aroused, I determined 
to have a good look at the enemy before 
allowing his nearer approach. So, with a 
snort of defiance, I started back, prepared, 
if necessary, to take to my heels and be off. 

“So — whoo — gently, Neddy,” said 
Thomas. “ Koop — koop, Neddy,” added 
Thomas, putting his arm behind him that 
I might not see what he carried in his hand. 

But this action, instead of disarming my 
suspicions, only excited them further. If 
no foul play was intended, what was there 
to conceal? and so, determined to be on the 
safe side, with a defiant kick I started off 
at a gallop, as much as to say, “ Catch me 
who can.” 


42 


NEDDY 


I soon found out that Old Thomas’s fee- 
ble legs were no match for my young nimble 
ones ; and, having the advantage, I kept it, 
and a pretty chase I led my old friend. 
Now, for a moment, I would stand still 
and look at him, as if I intended to give 
myself up his prisoner, and then, in an in- 
stant, just as he thought I was within his 
reach, I would slip from his touch, and be 
off with a gallop to the other end of the 
field. 

How long this struggle might have con- 
tinued, it is impossible for me to say. 
Thomas was evidently losing both his breath 
and his temper, whilst I was only getting 
my wind in the enjoyment of the game. 
But just at this instant who should come 
into the field but my young mistress? 

“ What, Thomas! ” she exclaimed, “ can- 
not you catch Neddy? ” 

“ Catch him! ” repeated Thomas, stand- 
ing still and wiping the perspiration off his 
face; “you might as well try to catch the 
will-o’-the-wisp. He wants a good flogging, 
that he does, to bring him to order,” 

43 


NEDDY 


“ Oh, do not flog him! ” said my mistress, 
in a tone of alarm. “You will spoil his 
temper if you do, Thomas.” 

“ Spare the rod and spoil the child,” an- 
swered Thomas, in his dry, peculiar way. 

4 4 Ah, we know better than that now, 
Thomas,” replied my mistress, with a smile. 

44 Just like all you young ones. You 
always think you know better than your 
elders,” said Thomas, rather gruffly. 44 A 
taste of the whip is a very good thing some- 
times ; and, to my thinking, it is a pity some 
folks do not get it a little oftener.” 

44 The whip is a good executioner, 
Thomas, but it is a very bad schoolmaster. 
It is much easier to whip a child into a bad 
humour than a good one. Of that I am 
sure, and. I think animals are much the 
same.” 

44 Sure, Miss Annie, you do not mean to 
tell me that you think it right that that little 
beast there should tire me to bits and get 
no punishment? He knows fast enough 
that he ought to come, only he won’t; he 
is sly enough for that.” 


44 


NEDDY 


I felt quite flattered by the compliment, 
and inwardly rejoiced that I had managed 
to outwit Old Thomas so skilfully. 

“ But you forget, Thomas, he cannot tell 
how much he is tiring you; very likely he 
is only frightened. If you will promise me 
not to whip him, I will promise to catch 
him for you.” 

“You catch him? ” said Thomas. 

“ Yes, I am sure I could. Will you 
promise? ” 

“ A bargain is a bargain, Miss Annie. 
If you can catch him, he is safe from me.” 

Without another word, Annie came 
toward me. 

“ Here, Neddy, good Neddy, come here; 
come to me, Neddy.” 

Should I give myself up? I eyed 
Thomas, and I thought: “No, no; soft 
words are not enough for me. I will be 
off while there is time.” 

But then I looked at my mistress, and I 
remembered how kind she had always been 
to me, and how grieved I had felt when I 
had pained her, and how I had promised 
45 


NEDDY 


myself I would never do so again; and so 
I thought to myself, “ Here is the time now 
to show you are sorry. Give yourself up, 
Neddy, without more ado; ” and I came a 
few steps on to meet my mistress; but then 
my heart misgave me, and I stood snorting 
and uncertain. 

“ What is it, Neddy? What are you 
afraid of? ” said my mistress, kindly. “ No 
one will hurt you. Come, then.” 

“ She would not surely promise that,” 
thought I, “ if she could not perform it. 
She has never deceived me yet in all these 
years. I can trust her;” and so, summon- 
ing up my courage, I walked right up to 
Annie, and stood rubbing my head against 
her hand. Nothing could exceed Annie’s 
delight at this proof of my confidence. She 
caressed and fondled me, calling me by 
every kind name she could think of, until 
at last even Old Thomas seemed somewhat 
appeased; for he said, in his pleasant old 
voice : 

“ To be sure, miss, you have a wonderful 
way of your own. The poor beast knows 

46 


NEDDY 


who is his best friend, sure enough. He 
need not be afraid of me now, though; my 
word is my word, and you have saved him 
from a flogging for this once.” 

“ Suppose you give me the bridle, 
Thomas; I will put it over his neck, and 
then you can put the bit in his mouth;” 
and in another moment I felt some tight 
thing passing over my forehead, and a hard 
substance pressing against my teeth, which 
made me open my mouth, and then, try as 
I would, I could not get rid of the thing. 
This was too much for endurance. I was 
for springing back instantly, indignant at 
what I thought was a trick to deprive me of 
my liberty ; but it was too late ; I was caught 
in a trap, and a firm hand held me tightly. 

“ Gently, Neddy, gently,” said my mis- 
tress ; “ you will only hurt yourself by pull- 
ing; ” and she patted me in such a caressing 
way that, angry as I was, I could not help 
listening. “Ah, Neddy! we must all take 
the bits in our mouths. You do not know, 
Neddy, what I mean; I only wish you did. 
But you will soon learn for yourself that 
47 


NEDDY 


it is much better to obey the rein than to 
pull away from it.” 

And going back a few steps, and then 
coaxing me to follow her, I found for my- 
self the truth of what she said. It was not 
pleasant to have that great iron thing in 
my mouth, of course not; but still, as long 
as I did not pull against it, it did not actu- 
ally hurt me ; and so, sulky as I was, I could 
not but acknowledge that the wisest course 
that remained for me was to obey, and I did 
my best to understand what Thomas said 
to me, and to do what I was bid; as usual, 
my efforts to do right brought their own 
reward. Thomas was very fairly patient 
with any little blunders that I made; and 
as to my mistress, her praise of my conduct 
knew no bounds; and when my first day’s 
lesson was over, and I stood by her side, 
munching carrots and sugar, and feeling 
her soft hand constantly patting my fore- 
head, I thought, Why, if this is learning, 
it is not so very unpleasant, after all; and 
I promised myself I would soon make such 
progress as would astonish my kind teacher. 

48 


CHAPTER III. 


NEDDY RUNS AWAY 







NEDDY 


CHAPTER III. 

I RUN AWAY AM FOUND AND TAKEN HOME AGAIN. 

But my unruly spirit was by no means 
tamed. After much thinking over what had 
happened to me, and much wondering as to 
what might happen, I made up my mind 
to run away. 

50 around and around the fence I wan- 
dered, looking for a chance to get through, 
and at last I came to a low stile. I was 
overjoyed at the sight, and, making a long 
run for freedom, took a clear leap over it. 

“No more bridles and no more bits for 
me! ” thought I, as soon as I found myself 
on the other side. 

I looked around me, this way and that, 
wondering in which direction I should go. 
It did not take me long to decide. Not far 
off, as it seemed to my inexperienced eyes, 

51 


NEDDY 


was a large and beautiful forest. So I ran 
and ran until I was far out of sight and 
hearing of my home. But the forest was 
farther off than I expected, and I was thor- 
oughly tired out when I reached it. How- 
ever, it was as large and as beautiful as I 
had imagined it to be, and I was soon wan- 
dering in its quiet depths, where I found 
plenty of good juicy grass to eat, and plenty 
of bright, cool, sparkling water to drink. 

After a good night’s rest, I awoke feel- 
ing ready for any adventure. “ I shall 
never be found now,” thought I; “no one 
will ever come to torment me in this quiet 
refuge, and this shall be my starting-point 
from which to explore the world.” 

My peace of mind was not to last long, 
however, for just then I heard the deep 
baying of a big hound, then of another, and 
presently a whole pack of them were coming 
toward me in full cry. 

Frightened almost to death, and feeling 
sure the dogs were after me, — such is the 
effect of a guilty conscience, — I fled as 
fast as I could to a little brook which I knew 

52 


NEDDY 


was not far off, for I had learned that if 
I walked in the water the dogs could not 
follow my scent. 

Soon I heard a voice saying: “ Find him, 
dogs! Fetch him, dogs! Bring him back, 
dogs! ” 

But, so long as I remained in the water, 
I was safe from the dogs, and I began to 
run along in the brook. I was safe also 
from the men, because there were high 
hedges on each side of the brook which hid 
me from their view. 

I ran, and I ran, and I ran, for quite 
a long time without stopping, until I was 
entirely out of breath. Presently the bark- 
ing of the hounds began to grow fainter 
and fainter. I ceased to hear the voice of 
the man who was urging them on, and at 
last all was silence. 

Out of breath, as I said, and thoroughly 
tired, I rested now to eat and drink. I was 
stiff and cold by this time through being so 
long in the water, but I did not dare to go 
far from it, for fear the dogs should pick 
up the scent and be after me again. But 
53 


NEDDY 


presently I regained my courage, got on 
to dry land, and trotted along by the side 
of the brook until at last I was out of the 
forest, and into a meadow where a large 
number of cattle were feeding. There I 
lay down in the sun in a corner, all by my- 
self, and rested for a long while in ease and 
comfort. 

Just as the evening shadows began to fall, 
two men came into the meadow, and one of 
them said to the other: “We had better 
take the cattle in to-night. They say that 
a wolf has escaped from the circus and is 
running wild in the wood.” 

“ Nonsense! ” said the other. “ Who told 
you that fairy tale? ” 

“ Well, I heard that the young donkey 
belonging to Old Thomas has been taken 
away and eaten by a wolf in the forest.” 

“Bah! don’t you believe it! I expect 
that the little fool has run away.” 

“ They say the wolf is out, anyway, and 
we had better call the cattle home.” 

“Just as you say,” said the other; “it’s 
all the same to me.” 


54 


NEDDY 


I lay still in my corner. Fortunately the 
grass was long enough to hide me, and as 
the cattle were not on my side of the field, 
the men drove them out of it to the farm 
where their masters lived, without seeing 
me. 

Now I knew there was no wolf in the 
forest, because the donkey of whom they 
spoke was myself, and I had not seen a 
sign of a wolf anywhere. So I settled down 
to sleep as soon as the darkness came, and 
in the morning the cattle came back to the 
meadow with the two men who drove them 
home the night before, accompanied by two 
large dogs. 

They belonged to the same pack of 
hounds from which I had had so narrow 
an escape the day before, and as soon as 
they caught sight or scent of me, they ran 
madly barking in my direction. Now I 
was in real trouble. What should I do? 
How could I possibly escape them this 
time? 

Away to the edge of the meadow I flew 
like lightning; over the hedge I jumped 
55 


NEDDY 


like a mad donkey, and once more I found 
my friendly brook. 

Soon I heard the voices of the men I had 
seen yesterday. They looked after me as 
I was trotting in the brook, and one of them 
said: 

“Call off the dogs; that is not our 
donkey.” 

“ Whose is it, then, I wonder,” said the 
other. 

“ That must be the donkey the wolf did 
not eat,” was the reply. 

“ Well, as we have found our own, we 
need not trouble about this one.” 

And so the dogs were called off. After 
all, you see, it was not me the dogs were 
after, but another donkey who had run 
away. How true it is, as I have heard it 
said, that, — 

“A guilty conscience doth make cowards of us all.” 

Now I went on my way unafraid, and 
walked and grazed, and walked and grazed 
until I came to another forest. How many 

56 


NEDDY 


miles I had gone I could not tell, but I was 
free, — free from bit and bridle and dogs 
and men, and that was all I cared for just 
then. 

I did not think of the kind, good friends 
I had left behind. I did not think of their 
anxiety as to what had become of me. I 
thought of nothing but that I was free. 

But it began to grow cold as night came 
on, and I began to wonder where I should 
find shelter till the morning. I trotted on 
right through the wood, until I came out 
on the other side, and saw a village ahead 
of me. 

Just outside of the village was a pretty 
little cottage in a garden all by itself. It 
was very clean, and very neat and tidy. 
At the door sat an old woman busy with her 
needle. What put it into my head to do 
it I do not know, but I trotted up to her 
and put my head on her shoulder. 

She jumped up quickly with a little 
scream. But I did not stir, and she began 
to pat my neck, and stroke my ears, until 
I was sure I had found a friend. 

57 


NEDDY 


“ I’m sure you’re a well-bred donkey,” 
she said, presently. “ I wonder where you 
came from, and to whom you belong. If 
I can’t find your owner, I shall keep you 
myself, for I’m sure I can make you useful. 
But I think you must have a master some- 
where.” 

I shuddered at the words “ make you use- 
ful,” for I had an idea that that must mean 
bit and bridle again. But when I heard the 
word “ master,” I could not help regretting 
the home I had left, — Old Thomas and 
Miss Annie, and my mother and all her 
lessons, which I had so badly learned. 

However, I was determined to keep the 
liberty I had earned, and when a bright- 
looking little boy of about six or seven years 
of age came out of the door to ask his grand- 
mother to whom she was talking, I at once 
made up my mind that we could be friends. 

“ Why, granny, where did that donkey 
come from? May I stroke him? ” said he. 

“ Of course, my boy, but he is a stranger 
to me, — a lost donkey, I think, — so take 
care he does not bite you.” 


58 






he jumped up quickly 
!©al with a little scream 


m ■ 









E3BP 

IP^ 





NEDDY 


Georgie, for that was his name, tiptoed 
to reach me. I did not stir, so as not to 
frighten him, but I liked the little lad so 
well that I could not help turning my head 
and licking his hand. 

“ Oh, what a dear donkey! ” said Georgie. 
“ Look, granny, he is licking my hand.” 

“ I wonder how he came here all by him- 
self,” said the old lady. “ Run into the 
village, Georgie, and inquire if any one has 
lost a donkey. I am sure any one to whom 
he belongs must be very anxious about him.” 

Off went Georgie, and off I went after 
him. When he saw me coming, he said: 
“ Oh, dear, I must not lose him,” and he 
set off at a run back to the house. Soon 
he came with a piece of cord, which he put 
around my neck, and we started again for 
the village. 

First Georgie went to the village inn. 
But the innkeeper had not heard of a lost 
donkey. Then he went from place to place 
where he thought a donkey might have been 
living, but nobody was missing a donkey 
in that village. 

59 


NEDDY 


At last, however, the village policeman 
came along. 

“ Hello, Georgie; where did you get that 
donkey? ” cried he. 

“ He came up to our door this afternoon, 
and I am trying to find his owner,” said 
the brave little fellow. 

“ This must be the donkey from the 
Hall,” said the policeman. “ I will put him 
in the pound until I can send for Old 
Thomas.” 

“ Oh, don’t lock him up,” said Georgie. 
“ Let me keep him and feed him for one 
night, until his master comes and fetches 
him.” 

The policeman was a kind-hearted man. 
He knew the donkey was safe with Georgie 
and his grandmother. He knew, too, that 
she had a warm and safe stable for the 
donkey, and so Georgie and I trotted back 
to his home, where I had a comfortable 
night. 

And now I began to think seriously of 
what had been happening in the home I had 
left, since I had been so foolish as to run 

60 


NEDDY 


away. I did not learn until afterward how 
much distress I had caused everybody there, 
or how much trouble I had given to those 
who had my best welfare at heart. When 
I did so, I felt remorse and sorrow enough, 
I assure you. 

Well, to make a long story short, the next 
morning Old Thomas came and fetched me 
away. He did not say much, and I was not 
sure if he were glad or sorry to have me 
back again. But there was no mistaking 
the delighted welcome which my young mis- 
tress gave me, and I made anew the vows 
of good behaviour of which I told you at 
the end of the last chapter. 


61 



CHAPTER IV. 


NEDDY S TRICK, AND WHAT CAME OF IT 






NEDDY 


CHAPTER IV. 

I LEARN TO DRAW MY MISTRESS^ CARRIAGE I SEE 

THE WORLD, AND LISTEN TO EVIL COUNSEL A 

TRICK, AND WHAT CAME OF IT AFTER ALL, 

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY. 

It would be tedious to trace the progress 
of my education. Suffice it to say that at 
last I was pronounced to be so well broken 
in that it was thought safe to trust me to 
draw my young mistress in a pretty little 
carriage that had been made expressly for 
me. At first I did not like my new occu- 
pation at all. It was very provoking to 
be led out of my pleasant field, when per- 
haps I had not half finished my morning’s 
meal, or was deep in conversation with some 
of my neighbours in the adjoining meadow, 
or was luxuriously rolling on the soft grass. 
To be taken away from these enjoyments 
to drag a carriage over hot, stony roads, and 
65 


NEDDY 


to stand stock-still doing nothing for the 
hour together, while my mistress was paying 
her visits, — all this seemed to me very dull 
and tedious; but gradually I became more 
reconciled to my lot. 

If it had its disadvantages, it had its 
pleasures likewise. I saw something of the 
world ; I had the opportunity of conversing 
with many of my own species, and of seeing 
how much happier my life was than that of 
many others; and though, I confess, to my 
shame, I was apt to forget this, and to give 
way to my temper, and show obstinacy when 
things did not go quite as I liked, grum- 
bling and thinking myself a very ill-used 
being, I believe that, on the whole, I learned 
wisdom by experience, and gave my dear 
mistress as little trouble as could be ex- 
pected. 

Occasionally, indeed, I sorely tried her 
patience. One instance I well remember. 
It had chanced that I had been required to 
take my mistress to a house which I had 
a particular objection to visiting. It was 
not only that the road that led to it was hilly 

66 


NEDDY 


and stony, but it was a place where I never 
received the slightest civility. No hay or 
water was ever offered me, no shed where I 
might stand at my ease out of the hot, broil- 
ing sunshine; but I was hitched up tight 
to a post, and expected to stand there for 
an hour at a time, while a yelping cur would 
bark at my heels, and the village children, 
peeping at me from over the fence, would 
make fun of my helpless condition. All 
this was very hurtful to my vanity; and, 
having in vain tried to show my mistress, 
by my obstinate manner, that I did not ap- 
prove of being taken to Bar stead, I deter- 
mined one day, when, as usual, I was hitched 
up to the post, to relieve myself from the 
hated bondage, hoping, by constant pulling, 
to be able to break the reins and run away 
home, leaving my mistress to follow as best 
she might. 

But it was in vain for me to pull and 
tug; the reins were stronger than I. I was 
only fretting myself into a fever, and mak- 
ing myself more and more uncomfortable. 
Thoroughly out of humour, I was venting 
67 


NEDDY 


my anger in a series of impatient snorts, 
when suddenly I heard a short, sneering 
neigh close to my side; and, looking up, 
I saw a little rough pony standing quite 
close to me, evidently enjoying my distress. 

“ Why, my good friend,” said he, “ what 
is the matter? You seem very unhappy. 
Can I be of any assistance? ” 

The patronizing tone in which he spoke 
completely disconcerted me, for I do not 
know anything more provoking than to ex- 
pose your own helplessness and incapacity 
to any one superior to yourself in intellect 
and station; so, putting on a dogged air 
of composure, I declined his kind offer of 
assistance, telling him I was only trying to 
shift my bridle a bit, and that I had done 
it now for myself. 

The mocking neigh which was his only 
answer showed me in a moment that my 
falsehood was discovered, and that I had 
only lowered myself still further in the 
opinion of my new acquaintance. 

“ My good fellow,” he said, “ you do not 
suppose I have worn a bridle all these years 

68 


NEDDY 


to learn that you are not going the right 
way to ease the bit. Better tell me the 
truth. I am older than you, and, if I am 
not much mistaken, I have seen a good deal 
more of life than you have. Come, what 
is the matter? Out with it, and I will help 
you if I can.” 

There was something in his cheery, good- 
natured manner that conquered my pride, 
and, in spite of myself, I soon found that 
I was talking to him as if he had been an 
old friend, and telling him my grievances 
as openly as if he had been my brother. 

“ And now,” said I in conclusion, “ what 
would you advise me to do? ” 

“ To do? ” he said; “ why, the next time 
your mistress brings you to Barstead, lame 
yourself.” 

“Lame myself?” exclaimed I; “why, 
the remedy would be worse than the dis- 
ease.” 

“You little innocent!” said my friend, 
with his sneering laugh; “you made no 
scruple in telling a lie just now; why should 
you find it more difficult to act one?” 

69 


NEDDY 


Involuntarily my ears wagged with hor- 
ror as I caught a glimpse of his meaning. 
I had been tempted into a hasty falsehood 
in support of my dignity. That was bad 
enough; but deliberately to enact a lie to 
deceive my kind mistress appeared to me 
the height of ingratitude and baseness. 
Alas! I did not remember how easily one 
fault leads to another. 

“ You asked my advice, and I have given 
it to you,” said the pony. “ If you are 
afraid to follow it out, why, you must sub- 
mit to be tied to a post for the remainder 
of your life, and that is the proper place 
for cowards. It is only those who have the 
pluck to dare and to do who make their way 
in this world.” 

“ I am not afraid,” said I, rather faintly. 
“ It is not that.” 

“ Well, then, what is it? ” 

Coward that I was! I did not dare to 
tell him that I feared to do wrong, and vex 
my kind mistress; so I only grumbled out 
something about the difficulty of deceiving 
her. 


70 


NEDDY 


“ That is, of course, a point you must 
decide for yourself,” replied the pony; 
“ only you must be a great bungler if you 
cannot manage to deceive a woman. In our 
relations with mankind, either they or we 
must be the masters, and the strongest will 
generally carries the day. If force will not 
do, try craft; but if you are beaten at both 
points, why, then, good-bye to your inde- 
pendence for all time, and make up your 
mind at once to sink into a mere despised 
beast of burden for the rest of your life.” 

What further valuable advice my new 
acquaintance might have given me, it is im- 
possible for me to say; for at this moment, 
my mistress coming out of the house, the 
servant came and untied my reins, and I 
was led away from my place of captivity, 
having only time to cast a farewell glance 
at my friend, and to catch the wicked twin- 
kle of the bright eyes which glanced from 
under his shaggy eyebrows. 

All the way home I thought over his 
words ; indeed, so lost was I at times in the 
reflection that I was unpleasantly aroused 
71 


NEDDY 


by the sharp cut of the whip across my 
shoulders, and the sound of my mistress’s 
voice reproving me very severely. 

“Ah, Neddy!” she said, as, having at 
length reached home, she got out of the car- 
riage and came and stood by my side, with- 
out giving me so much as one pat; “you 
have gone very badly indeed to-day, and 
you will not have a single carrot, nor a bit 
of bread, nor a taste of sugar, — no, not 
one bit. Go away, Neddy, — naughty 
Neddy! ” 

So that was my first experience of the 
fruits of evil counsel. But, alas! my heart 
was hardened by the words of the tempter; 
and instead of repenting of my fault, my 
mistress’s displeasure only made me more 
obstinate, and more inclined to try and have 
my own way, and to persuade myself that 
it was she who was unkind and unjust, and 
that if she required me to do that which was 
disagreeable to me, why, of course, I, on my 
part, was quite justified in avoiding it if 
possible. 

The more I brooded over my imaginary 

72 


NEDDY 


wrongs, the more ill-used I considered my- 
self to be, and the more was I inclined to 
follow the advice of my tempter. As is 
always the case, by constantly dwelling on 
the fault which I longed to commit, it grad- 
ually appeared to me to become less and less 
sinful. I found such endless excuses to 
justify my conduct to my own mind that 
at length I ceased to feel any compunction 
whatever on the subject, and only awaited 
a favourable opportunity for putting my 
intended deception into practice. 

It was not long in offering itself. One 
beautiful bright morning, about ten days 
after my last visit to Barstead, I was, as 
usual, drawing my mistress’s carriage, when 
she turned me up the lane which led, I knew, 
to the hateful place. “Ah! ah!” thought 
I, “I know where you are going to now, 
and we’ll see who carries out their purpose, 
you or I.” So I cunningly watched my 
opportunity, and began to tread a little — 
just a very little — lame, stumbling occa- 
sionally as I trotted along. 

“ What can be the matter with Neddy? ” 

73 


NEDDY 


I heard my mistress say to her companion. 
“ Do you not think, Emily, he goes lame? ” 

“ All! ” thought I ; “ you see it, do you? ” 
and I went lamer than before. 

“Yes, certainly,” replied Emily; “he is 
quite lame.” 

“ Perhaps he has a stone in his shoe,” 
said my mistress. “ Hold the reins, Emily, 
for a moment, if you please. I will get out 
and look.” 

“Dear me!” thought I; “now she will 
discover the cheat; ” and I trembled all over. 

“Poor Neddy! poor Neddy!” said my 
mistress, patting me. “ He trembles so, he 
must be hurt.” 

Would you believe it? Her kindness, 
instead of softening my heart, and making 
me see my fault, only hardened me the more. 
I began to despise her for being such an 
easy dupe. This feeling gave me the cour- 
age to stand quite still, whilst my mistress 
lifted up first one foot and then another. 

“ There is no stone in any one of his feet,” 
exclaimed my mistress, in a perplexed tone, 
as she stood by my side, “ and there doesn’t 

74 


NEDDY 


seem to be a sign of any stone having hurt 
him anywhere.” 

“ Perhaps it was only the ground over 
which we have just come that made him 
go lame,” suggested Emily. “ I noticed it 
was very stony.” 

“ Well, it may be that,” replied my mis- 
tress; “ we will go on, and try a little way 
farther.” 

And, getting into the carriage, she 
touched me very lightly with the whip, 
saying : 

“ Now, Neddy dear, go on.” 

And very, very slowly I went, limping 
more, and more, and more at every step 
I took. 

“ Oh, Emily, I cannot bear this,” I heard 
my kind mistress say, in a tone of the sin- 
cerest pity. “ It makes me quite miserable 
to see the pain the poor creature is in. We 
must give up our drive for to-day, and go 
home; ” and, checking me as she spoke, she 
turned me around toward home. 

Oh, how my heart beat with joy to think 
of my successful cheat! “ Ah! ah! ” thought 
75 


NEDDY 


I; “ it is all very well for you to hold the 
reins, but I can teach you the way to go. 
I am master now for all time coming; and 
I flatter myself you will never take Neddy 
again where he does not wish to go.” 

But my joy was destined to be of short 
duration. In my conceited delight at hav- 
ing so successfully duped my mistress, I 
quite forgot that, to make my trick success- 
ful, it was necessary that the deception 
should be carried on to the end; and no 
sooner was I aware that I was going home 
than I trotted off as brisk as could be. 

A hearty laugh from my mistress and 
her friend awoke me from my dream of 
security. I started as I heard the words, 
“ Would you have believed that he could 
have feigned so skilfully? ” and in another 
moment I felt myself turned back on the 
road to Bar stead, whilst the most hearty 
whipping I had ever received from my mis- 
tress fell on my devoted shoulders. 

It was in vain for me to go lame now. 
I limped till I almost fell to the ground; 
my mistress only flogged the harder, until, 

76 


NEDDY 


at length, in despair, I gave up the struggle ; 
and, although in a thoroughly sulky and 
obstinate humour, I consented to draw the 
carriage up to Barstead. 

Ah! who may tell what bitter thoughts 
were mine, as I stood waiting for my mis- 
tress, tied, as usual, to that horrid post! It 
was not only the whipping I had received, 
— that was bad enough, and my shoulders 
ached again with the cuts, — but to have 
been discovered in my cheat, this was what 
galled me to the quick, and for the moment 
I forgot the fault in the shame of the dis- 
covery. In my rage I looked eagerly 
around, hoping I might see my tempter, 
and ease my own misery by venting my ill- 
humour on him who had given me the evil 
counsel. I had better have looked nearer 
home, and seen who was the real author of 
all my wretchedness. 

But my fault was destined to meet with a 
still sharper punishment. Not very long 
after this excursion to Barstead, my mistress 
was driving me over a road which had just 
been repaired, and one of the little flints 
77 


NEDDY 


happened to fix itself just under my shoe, 
and on the softest point of my hoof. Oh, 
the pain I felt! I shuddered all over; I 
could hardly put my foot to the ground, 
and limped along in the greatest agony. 

“ No, no,” said my mistress, whipping me 
sharply; “ no more of this nonsense! Come, 
make haste and go on.” 

Alas and alas for the lie which I had 
acted ! How well I remembered how kindly 
my mistress had pitied me before! how 
soothingly she had caressed me! and how 
I had laughed at her for her pains! Ah! 
now, instead of whipping me on, increasing 
my wretchedness every moment, she would, 
but for my own fault, have seen to me as 
before, and in a moment my tormentor 
would have been removed. The knowledge 
that I had brought it all upon myself did 
not tend to mitigate the pain; and, though 
I tried to limp on as fast as possible, I 
nearly fainted with the agony I was en- 
during. 

At length my evident discomfort moved 
the compassion of my kind-hearted mistress. 

78 


NEDDY 


“ I do really think Neddy has got a stone 
in his foot to-day,” she said; “ at any rate, 
I will look before I go on any farther.” 

Who may tell how grateful I was for a 
kindness so much greater than I deserved? 
and, as she got out of the chaise, I held 
up my foot that she might know at once 
where the stone was, and see that this time 
at least I was not deceiving her. 

“Poor Neddy! poor fellow!” exclaimed 
my mistress, as she carefully drew out the 
stone; “I do not wonder you limped; it 
must have hurt you dreadfully. But see, 
Neddy, what it is to deceive; no one believes 
you when you really are hurt. Cunning 
people outwit themselves. I wish I could 
make you understand me. I am very sorry 
for you poor, poor Neddy!” 

Her kindness softened my heart. Not all 
the pain and the punishment could have 
made me repent so deeply as did my mis- 
tress’s kind words. Oh, how I wished I 
could make her know all that was passing 
in my mind ! and I rubbed my head against 
her, and looked up in her face, hoping she 
79 


NEDDY 


would see how truly I thanked her. For 
the moment my feelings toward my mistress 
had made me forget my own sufferings ; but 
no sooner did I put my foot to the ground 
than I was recalled to a recollection of my 
late agony. It was in vain to attempt to 
trot. The slowest hobble gave me such pain 
that I was obliged to stand quite still to 
recover my breath. My dear mistress 
seemed sincerely sorry. She turned toward 
home immediately, driving me back as 
slowly and gently as possible. On my ar- 
rival at home, warm fomentations were in- 
stantly applied; but there was so much in- 
flammation that it was days before I could 
hobble about even in my field and on the 
soft green grass, and not for weeks did I 
entirely get over the effects of the accident. 

During this illness of mine, I had plenty 
of time for reflection, and for seeing not 
only how foolish, but how wrong, my con- 
duct had been, and what ill results it had 
brought on me. 

“Ah, Neddy !” said my mistress one 
day, when, as usual, she had been tenderly 

80 


NEDDY 


inquiring after my wounded foot, “ I hope 
this will be a lesson to you for life.” 

“ How can you be so absurd, Annie, as 
to talk in this way to a donkey? ” said my 
mistress’s companion. 

“Neddy understands me: I am sure he 
does,” was the reply. “ Look how sensibly 
he looks up in my face. He can do almost 
everything but speak.” 

And though, perhaps, I did not under- 
stand everything she said just in the sense 
which you would apply to it, kind reader, 
I took in quite sufficient to make me deeply 
regret the past, and determine to try and 
amend in the future. 


81 



CHAPTER V. 


NEDDY AT THE FAIR 









NEDDY 


CHAPTER V. 

AT THE FAIR A PERFORMING DONKEY. 

In my time, fairs in England were very 
common, and they were held in most of the 
important country towns twice a year, in 
the spring and in the fall. 

These fairs were unlike anything that 
boys and girls of to-day have seen. They 
were held in the main street of the town, 
and the booths, or stalls, were erected on 
each side of the street, partly on the side- 
walk and partly on the road, leaving only 
a very narrow space for people to walk 
about, or for horses and carriages to drive. 

This would have been inconvenient, as 
all the people from the country roundabout 
flocked into the town at fair time, and it 
was then more crowded than ever. But, as 
every one wanted to linger and loiter and 
85 


NEDDY 


look at the things displayed for sale in the 
stalls, and to listen to the descriptions of 
the wonders to be seen inside the shows, 
menageries, museums, and travelling the- 
atres, this did not matter very much. 

You will hear more about fairs as you 
read farther on in my story, but this seems 
to me to be a good place to tell you some- 
thing about them as they were when I was 
a young and observant donkey. 

One of the most curious things about 
these fairs was that they were very often 
“ hiring fairs,” that is, men and women used 
to go and stand in rows and wait for the 
squires or the farmers from roundabout to 
come and hire them as farm-hands or la- 
bourers, or household help or dairymaids, 
or what not. There they would be, — the 
men all in a row in their smock-frocks, with 
their whips in their hands, on one side of 
the street, and the women, neatly dressed 
in linsey-woolsey gowns (that was the name 
of the stuff) on the other. 

I think I can hear them now : “ Where 
did you work last year? ” one of them would 

86 


NEDDY 


bawl out. And the rest would shout all at 
once : ' 

“ Down in Yorkshire,” or Lancashire, or 
Berkshire, as the case might be. 

The first speaker would then say: “ How 
much did you get a year? ” 

Then all the rest would reply in chorus: 

“ Five pound, and a new whip, 

Fat pork a foot thick, 

And a new knife to cut it with. 

Work! Work! Work!” 

And the things there were to see at these 
fairs! Everything that any one could want, 
from candy for the babies up to coats and 
boots for the men, and dresses and gewgaws 
for the women. Fathers and mothers came 
with their children. Young men and women 
with their sweethearts, and all bought what 
were called “ fairings ” for each other. 
Everything bought at the fair was called 
a “ fairing.” 

Useful things also were sold, — ploughs 
and harrows, rakes, spades, and hoes, horses, 
wagons and wheelbarrows, — in fact, every- 
87 


NEDDY 


thing the farmer and the housekeeper might 
want. 

But the greatest thing of all was “ the 
fun of the fair,” — the shows and the mu- 
seums, the freak exhibitions, and such like. 
There were bearded ladies, fat women, 
dwarfs, and giants. Lambs with two heads, 
and calves with six legs, and performing 
animals without number. 

And this leads me to a story about a per- 
forming donkey, which I heard from a four- 
legged friend of mine on one occasion when 
I was waiting in the town on a market-day. 

My friend’s name was Neddy, the same 
as my own, and one day he went to a fair 
where every one was talking about a won- 
derful performing donkey who was exhib- 
iting his tricks in a large tent. “ My mas- 
ter,” said he, “ went in the tent, leaving 
me by the door, so that I could see what 
was going on inside. In a few minutes the 
showman appeared leading in the donkey 
that was supposed to be so clever. He was 
a poor, dismal-looking creature, who looked 
as if he wanted a square meal. ‘ Ladies and 

88 


NEDDY 


gentlemen/ began the showman, 4 I have 
the honour to introduce to you Mr. Muffles, 
the wonderful performing ass. This ass, 
ladies and gentlemen, is not such an ass as 
he looks. He knows a great deal, — a great 
deal more than some of you. He is an ass 
without equal. Come, Muffles, show the 
company what you can do. Make your bow, 
and let these ladies and gentlemen see that 
you have learned manners.’ The donkey 
went forward two or three steps and bent 
his head in most melancholy fashion. I was 
indignant with the showman. I thought to 
myself, 4 It’s quite easy to see that this poor 
Muffles has been taught his tricks by means 
of a rope’s end,’ and I made up my mind 
to be revenged on that man before the per- 
formance was over. 

“ 4 Now, Muffles, take this nosegay, and 
give it to the prettiest lady here.’ 

44 Muffles took the bunch of flowers in his 
teeth, walked sadly all around the ring, and 
at last went and dropped it into the lap of 
an ugly, fat woman. She was quite close to 
me, and I could see that she had a piece of 
89 


NEDDY 


sugar hidden in her hand. ‘ What a fraud,’ 
I thought. ‘ Of course she is the show- 
man’s wife.’ I was so disgusted with what 
I thought was the donkey’s bad taste that, 
before any one could stop me, I leaped clear 
into the ring, seized the bouquet in my teeth, 
and, trotting around, I at last laid it at the 
feet of a little girl I knew, who was really 
pretty. 

“ The crowd clapped and cheered, and 
wondered who I was. ' So intelligent! ’ they 
said to each other. Muffles’s master, how- 
ever, did not seem so pleased. As for Muf- 
fles himself, he took no notice whatever. I 
began to think he must really be rather a 
stupid animal, and that, you know, isn’t 
common with us donkeys. 

“ When the audience was quiet again, the 
showman said: 

“ ‘ Now, Muffles, you have shown us the 
prettiest lady here. Now go and point out 
the silliest person present,’ and, so saying, 
he gave him a big dunce-cap made of col- 
oured paper and adorned with rosettes. 

“ Muffles took it in his teeth, and, going 

90 


NEDDY 


straight to a heavy -looking fat boy, with 
a face exactly like that of a pig, put it on 
his head. The fat boy was so like the fat 
woman that it was quite easy to see he must 
be the showman’s son, and of course in the 
trick. 

“ ‘ Good! ’ said I to myself, ‘ my time has 
come.’ Before they could think of stopping 
me, I had taken the cap off the boy’s head, 
and was chasing the showman himself 
around and around the ring. The crowd 
roared with laughter and clapped and 
clapped until they were tired. All at once 
the showman tripped and went down on one 
knee. I profited by this to put the cap 
firmly on his head, and to ram it down till 
it fairly covered his chin. 

“ The showman shouted, and danced 
about, trying to tear off the cap, and I stood 
on my hind legs and capered about just 
as he did until the crowd nearly died from 
laughing. ‘Well done, donkey! Bravo, 
donkey! It’s you that’s the real performing 
donkey ! ’ they shouted. 

“ There was no doing anything after this. 

91 


NEDDY 


Hundreds of people crowded into the ring, 
and were so anxious to caress me that I was 
afraid they would tear me to pieces. The 
people from our own village who knew me 
were more than proud of me, and before 
very long all the people in the place were 
telling wonderful tales of my intelligence 
and my adventures. 

“ They said I had once been at a fire, and 
worked a fire-engine all by myself; that I 
had gone up a ladder to the third floor, 
opened my mistress’s door, awakened her, 
picked her up, and jumped off the roof with 
her in safety to the ground. They said 
that at another time I had, all alone, slain 
fifty robbers, strangling them with my teeth 
when they were asleep, and that not one 
had time to awake and alarm the others; 
that I had then gone into the caves, where 
the robbers lived, and had set free a hundred 
and fifty prisoners whom the robbers had 
captured. At another time they said I had 
beaten in a race all the swiftest horses in the 
country, and had run seventy-five miles in 
five hours without stopping! 


92 


NEDDY 


“ The crowd grew thicker and thicker to 
hear these wonderful tales, until the crush 
was so great that some of the people could 
hardly breathe, and the police had to come 
to the rescue. It was with the greatest dif- 
ficulty that, even with the help of the police- 
men, I was able to get away, and I was 
obliged to pretend to bite and kick in order 
to clear a path ; but of course I did not hurt 
anybody. 

“ At last I got free from the crowd and 
into the road. . . . But after it all was over, 
I began to think of the unfortunate show- 
man, and I felt very, very sorry for the 
unkind trick I had played him.” 1 


1 This story is from a French source. [Ed. 


93 


CHAPTER VI. 


NEDDY CHANGES MASTERS 



t 


NEDDY 


CHAPTER VI. 

A READ GRIEVANCE RICHARD AND I DECLARE WAR 

AGAINST EACH OTHER A STRUGGLE I GAIN 

A VICTORY, AND AM CONQUERED IN MY TURN 

I CHANGE MASTERS, AND ENTER A NEW PHASE 
OF EXISTENCE. 

There is no lot in life so perfectly happy 
in which one cannot find some cause of com- 
plaint; indeed it is too often the case that 
the fewer grievances people have, the more 
you hear them grumble. Now, I have no 
doubt I had a great many imaginary, but 
I had one real, unmistakable source of un- 
happiness. One of the servants at the house 
was a boy whom my master had originally 
taken out of charity. He was a quick, 
clever lad, but of a spiteful disposition, and 
this he was clever enough to keep out of 
his master’s sight. He delighted in teas- 
ing and cruelty, and nothing seemed to 
97 


NEDDY 


make him happier than to be able to make 
others miserable. Against myself he had 
an especial spite, and endless were the tricks 
with which he contrived to annoy me. 
Sometimes, just when I was going to be 
harnessed to the carriage, he would place a 
piece of holly, or something equally prickly, 
just under my tail, and when, of course, I 
tried to kick the inconvenience away, he 
would declare it was all vice on my part; 
so I got the whipping he so richly deserved. 
Then, again, sometimes when I came home 
from a journey, ready to drop with thirst, 
the ill-natured little fellow would hold the 
pail to my lips as handy as possible, and 
then at the very moment when, eager to 
drink, I was putting down my mouth for 
a draught, he would suddenly tilt up the 
pail, making the contents fly into my eyes 
and ears, or else spilling the water on the 
stones around. 

These, and a hundred similar injuries 
needless to detail, and better to forget, made 
me hate the very sight of Richard; and so 
little pains did I take to conceal my feelings 

98 


NEDDY 


that my mistress soon discovered there was 
something wrong between us. 

“ I cannot think what it is, papa,” I one 
day overheard her say, “ that makes Neddy 
so dislike Richard. I am quite sure he must 
ill treat him.” 

What would not I have given at that 
moment to have had the power of telling 
my grievances to my kind mistress? But 
that could not be. I could only sigh, wag 
my ears very slowly, and trust to my mis- 
tress’s acuteness to find out how matters 
stood for herself. One word then, and what 
months of misery I might have been spared ! 

If Richard could play off his spiteful 
tricks almost under the eyes, so to speak, of 
my mistress, one may imagine the life he 
led me when the family were away from 
home. Then I was almost entirely at his 
mercy, and he took care to improve his op- 
portunities to the utmost. As a general 
rule, when my mistress was away, I was not 
allowed to do any work whatever; but it 
occasionally happened that a letter had to 
be sent in a hurry to the mail, or some com- 
99 

Lo*a 


NEDDY 


mission executed in the neighbouring town, 
and then, instead of walking, Richard would 
be allowed to ride me. Ah, those rides! 
how I dreaded them! What kicks! what 
blows ! what language ! In those days I had 
never heard such words before, and could 
hardly understand their meaning. Is it as- 
tonishing that I rebelled against such treat- 
ment, and did my very utmost to get rid of 
my tormentor? 

I must confess, however, that, as a general 
rule, my efforts were not crowned with the 
success they deserved. On one occasion, 
however, I was the victor; but my victory 
cost me dear. 

Richard had ridden me into the town for 
something that was wanted at the house, 
and all the way along it had been a struggle 
between us; I obstinately determined not 
to go, he as obstinately bent on making me. 
At length, by dint of kicks and blows, the 
misery of which became too great to be en- 
dured, he succeeded in goading me as far 
as the market-place of the town. 

It happened to be market-day, and the 

100 


NEDDY 


square was quite full of country people who 
had come in to buy and sell. Whether it 
was the desire of showing off, or whether 
Richard’s temper had become more than 
usually irritated by my determined opposi- 
tion to his will, I do not know; but here, in 
the presence of all these people, he began 
to beat me violently about the head, at the 
same time urging me into a gallop. Half- 
blinded and stupefied by the blows, my only 
reply was to stand perfectly still. Richard 
beat me more savagely than before. Cries 
of “Shame! shame!” resounded from all 
sides. 

“ I will tell your master,” said one. 
“You will lose your place,” said another; 
while a third cried out, “ I wish the beast 
would kick him off. It would serve him 
right to have a roll in the mud, that it 
would.” 

I only needed this one word of encourage- 
ment to put the plan which I had formed 
into execution. Planting my two front feet 
firmly on the ground, I kicked, and kicked, 
and kicked with such a thorough, hearty 

101 


NEDDY 


good-will that at length my adversary, los- 
ing his balance, flew over my head, and 
rolled around and around upon the mud 
beneath me. Shouts of laughter resounded 
from all sides. Not waiting to see what 
would become of Richard, I instantly 
turned toward home, and galloped up the 
street as fast as my legs would carry me, 
the people not attempting to stop me, but 
rather urging me on to greater speed by cries 
of “ Bravo! Well done, Neddy! Go on, 
Neddy! ” 

Excited by these shouts, and by the tri- 
umph I had just achieved, I redoubled my 
speed, my heart beating with joyful pride 
at my late victory. Alas ! how little I knew 
the price I was to pay for it! If I had had 
the sense to go straight home, all would have 
been well; but when one has once tasted of 
the pleasures of conquest, and listened to the 
flattery of praise, one’s judgment is apt to 
be less clear; and no sooner had I reached 
such a distance from the town as to render 
me comparatively safe than I slackened my 
speed, and began, with great self-compla- 

102 






NEDDY 


cency, to think over the events of the morn- 
ing, refreshing myself by constant nibbles 
at the grass by the wayside. I was indulg- 
ing in this luxurious confidence when I sud- 
denly felt my rein seized by a vigorous hand, 
and, looking up, I found myself confronted 
by a powerful, middle-aged man. 

“ So you are the runaway donkey, are 
you? ” he said. “ I was just on the lookout 
for you ; ” and I saw that he glanced hastily 
up and down the road, but not another crea- 
ture was in sight. 

“So! all is right,” he said. “Come 
along, Neddy, come along; ” and he hastily 
turned me off the highroad on to a path 
which led into a wood hard by. 

It was all done so quickly that I had not 
a moment to recover my self-possession, and 
I was already far on in the path before I 
had time to consider who the man was, and 
what he could possibly mean by taking me 
into this road, which I had never seen be- 
fore. My first sensation was one of delight, 
to think how completely I had outwitted 
Richard; but this was quickly followed by 
103 


NEDDY 


the dread, “ What if I had been outwitted 
myself? ” and I began to reproach myself 
bitterly with my folly in not having resisted 
in the first instance, and refused to allow 
myself to be led from the highroad. 

“ But better late than never,” thought I ; 
and, giving a vigorous pull at the rein, I 
tried to get away from the man, determin- 
ing to regain the road, and never to stop 
again till I had safely reached home. Alas! 
I now discovered how far easier it is to take 
a step in the wrong direction than to retrace 
it when made. 

The man in an instant seemed to discern 
my intention; and, holding the rein tighter 
than he had done before, he gave me three 
or four tremendous blows with a stick which 
he had in his hand, exclaiming at the same 
time: 

“ So you think to get away from me as 
you did from that boy, do you? You will 
find yourself mistaken. I will soon make 
you know who is master now; ” and he re- 
peated the blows with greater violence than 
before. 


104 


NEDDY 

The savage tone in which he spoke, and 
the pain I felt from the blows which I had 
received, seemed to stun me, and take away 
all power of resistance; and, in spite of 
myself, I walked on by his side, trembling 
in every limb, and holding my tail tight 
between my legs, in the vain hope that this 
would protect me from his cruel blows. I 
have often thought since that I acted like 
a coward, and that, if I had plucked up my 
spirit, I might have regained my liberty. 
But, after all, I do not know. In a struggle 
between men and beasts, I suppose if a man 
chooses to exert his strength, he can always 
get the mastery. We do not think of this 
as long as we are in happy homes, and all 
goes prosperously; we forget that we are 
servants, and that our master has a right 
to expect obedience in return for the food 
he gives us and the care which he bestows 
upon us. We are apt to grow proud, and 
to think that our service is entirely optional, 
and that if we do our duty well, it is a great 
merit on our part, and calls for gratitude on 
the part of our master; and then it is not 
105 


NEDDY 


till we feel his strong hand upon us, con- 
quering our wills, and doing with us accord- 
ing to his pleasure, that we begin to under- 
stand that we are only servants of a higher 
power than our own, and that we should 
have been wiser to have submitted patiently, 
and to have done our duty cheerfully, than 
to have struggled against an authority 
which, after all, we are powerless to resist. 
I can think these thoughts now that I am 
quietly at rest in my old age, but my feel- 
ings were very different on the day of my 
capture. 

My new master, having led me through 
the wood, jumped upon my back, and, by 
a repetition of the cruel blows I so much 
dreaded, urged me to gallop on across an 
open common on which we had now entered. 
Frightened as I was, I had sense enough 
to know that it would be better for me to 
obey ; but I did so with a heavy heart, know- 
ing well that every step was taking me far- 
ther and farther away from the home which 
I had never loved so well as now that I 
had lost it. Still, I made what speed I 

106 


NEDDY 


could; and, having crossed the common, my 
master turned me up a narrow lane, urging 
me on even faster than before, till at length 
he turned off on to a waste piece of land, 
the most dreary-looking place I had ever 
seen in my life, — pools of water here and 
there, and the ground with scarcely a blade 
of grass, and nothing but a few stunted 
bushes scattered ' about. Here he pulled me 
up; and, getting off my back, he led me 
on a little distance; then, standing still, he 
whistled very loudly and sharply. In a few 
minutes the call was answered by a man 
younger and not so powerful-looking as 
himself. 

“Where is the tent, Bill?” was his first 
question. 

“ A little way down to the left yonder.” 

“ Then we must look alive and push on 
for it, and dress up this donkey here before 
the search is out for him.” 

“ Why, where did you pick him up, 
Jem?” asked his companion, as he pro- 
ceeded to examine me. “ You have been 
in rare luck to-day. I never saw a more 
107 


NEDDY 


likely beast. He has been in good quarters, 
too, I should say, from the look of his 
skin.” 

“ That he has,” returned my master. 
“ He is one of Squire Morton’s raising ; so 
you may be sure he is the right sort. I have 
had my eye on him for some time past; but 
they kept him so close I could not get a 
chance before. However, we have not a 
moment to lose. He is a pet of the family, 
so there is sure to be a hue and cry. Run 
on and get the shears and some good strong 
pitch ready.” 

My heart sank within me. I did not in- 
deed understand the full meaning of the 
words, but I felt sure from the man’s man- 
ner that mischief was intended, and again 
I did my best to escape and make my way 
home; but it would not do. I was led on, 
in spite of myself, to the tent, and then the 
cruel work began. Snip — snip — snip! I 
heard, whilst a hard, cold, heavy substance 
ran all over my body; and then came some- 
thing hot and burning, which made me kick 
and jump with pain. But it was in vain to 

108 


NEDDY 


struggle. My tormentors had me in their 
power, and not till they had satisfied them- 
selves did they at length release me from 
their grasp. 

“ There, Bill,” said my master, when at 
length he had finished; “I think we have 
done it pretty well. I do not believe even 
his own mother would know him now. 
However, we won’t risk it; let us strike 
tents and be off. Here, give me the log, 
that heaviest one, and we will put that on 
his leg. He will not run far with that, I 
promise him.” 

And in another moment I felt a tight, 
cutting pressure around my ankle; and, 
giving me a cut, my master told me to be 
ofiP and eat my dinner, for I should soon 
be wanted for work. Eat my dinner! My 
only thought was to get away home; and, 
once escaped from his hands, I was for gal- 
loping off without a moment’s loss of time. 
Gallop? I could hardly walk. No sooner 
did I attempt to move than I heard a loud 
clanking noise, and felt a drag, as if my 
leg was broken. Looking back in terror 
109 


NEDDY 


and amazement, I perceived that an im- 
mense piece of wood was fastened to my 
leg by a great iron chain. I tried to shake 
it off, but my efforts only made the chain 
cut me more painfully, whilst I bruised my 
legs by knocking them against the log. 
Broken-hearted and in despair, I stood per- 
fectly still, bewildered and not knowing 
what to do next. At length an irresistible 
desire seized me to see what my tormentors 
had done to me. I recollected how proudly 
I had often surveyed myself in the stream 
at home, and how I had admired my shiny 
brown coat and the long hairs in my mane. 
Slowly, very slowly, I dragged myself to 
the edge of one of the pools. The water 
was very muddy, and did not perhaps re- 
flect all my hideousness; but I saw enough 
to make me start back in horror from my- 
self. My mother not know me? why, I 
did not know myself! My beautiful coat 
all clipped, and rough, and ragged, and cov- 
ered with great patches of black and dirt; 
and my mane, — that mane my dear mis- 
tress had so often praised, — oh, what would 

110 


NEDDY 


she have said to it now? I drew back from 
the sight of myself, and groaned inwardly. 
“ Ah! ” thought I, “ and has so short a time 
been sufficient for so great a change? Is 
this the beauty of which I was so fond? 
Fool that I was to set such store upon the 
very thing which has brought me to all this 
misery, and which is gone in an hour! ” and, 
laying down my long ears, my heart felt 
well-nigh broken. 

In the midst of all my sorrows I suddenly 
roused up to the feeling of being very hun- 
gry. I had had nothing since the morning, 
and was quite faint and exhausted with my 
long gallop and all the agitation and excite- 
ment of the day. Looking around me, 
therefore, I tried to find something that I 
should like to eat, but there was nothing, 
actually nothing; for it was not to be sup- 
posed that a donkey, bred up as I had been, 
would condescend to make a meal of rank, 
sedgy grass, or a few bits of dried-up furze. 
Sorrow had not yet done its work. My 
proud spirit was chafed and angry — not 
broken; and I had still to learn that the 

111 


NEDDY 

meal I now despised might one day be eaten 
with gratitude. 

I was standing in the sullen gloom of 
despair when my new master came up to 
me. “ So, Neddy,” he said, “ you do not 
seem to be enjoying your meal. You will 
know better, my fine fellow, some day than 
to be particular about trifles. You will not 
be dainty long, I promise you. It will do 
you no harm for once to work upon an 
empty stomach. It will take down your 
spirit quicker than anything.” 

And, unclasping the log as he spoke, he 
swung it over my back, and led me up to the 
tent, where he proceeded to load me with 
every imaginable article. I might be fright- 
ened, as tin jingled against tin by every 
movement of my body; I might try to re- 
sist so heavy a load being placed upon my 
back ; but it was all of no good ; the weight 
was fixed upon my shoulders, and then I 
was driven off with blows as before. 

We seemed to be a large party, — one 
of my own family, but so old and ugly and 
wretched-looking that I turned from her in 

112 


NEDDY 

disgust, quite forgetting my own forlorn 
look, and all the wise reflections I had so 
lately made. This poor donkey carried 
some children and a number of things of 
which I did not know the use; and a sort 
of van, drawn by an old horse, conveyed the 
tent and all that the party might want be- 
side. How long or where we travelled, I 
cannot say. I only know that I was faint 
and tired and weary, when at length we 
came to a halt in a wooded dell a little 
way from the roadside. It looked pretty 
enough in the bright moonlight, but I was 
too wayworn to think of that; and when 
my load was removed from my back, I lay 
down from sheer fatigue, and, shutting my 
eyes, tried to forget all my sorrows in sleep. 

Only this morning, and what a happy 
donkey I had been! I do not know well 
how to measure time; but it seemed to me 
as long since I had left my home as one of 
those dreary periods when my mistress was 
away from it. I thought of all my mother 
used to say to me about the changes of life, 
and how thankful I ought to be for the 
113 


NEDDY 


happy lot that had been given to me, and 
how grateful and desirous to value my 
blessings to the full; and now, when I had 
lost them all, I for the first time felt their 
value, and knew how lightly I had prized 
them. 

All, did I say? While I was thinking 
thus despondingly of my misfortunes, I 
heard a kind voice say to me: “ Come, poor 
Neddy, here is something for you to eat,” 
and, looking up, I saw a little child holding 
toward me a large handful of hay. “ Come, 
poor Neddy! good Neddy!” added the 
child, as she patted me kindly. Then, after 
all, I was not so utterly forsaken. Even 
in my utmost distress there was still some- 
thing left to comfort me; and, as I grate- 
fully munched the hay, I felt the first mo- 
ment of happiness I had experienced since 
my misfortune. How often have I found 
since that there is no trial which may not 
be made more or less hard to bear by our 
own conduct under it, — few states so bad 
but that if we choose we can make them 
worse ! Keep up a good heart, and be grate- 

114 


NEDDY 


fill for every little comfort as it comes. 
That is my advice. I only wish I could 
speak out, and let my masters know how 
much lies in their power to make us, their 
poor servants, happy. If they knew how 
grateful we feel for kindness, and how 
much readier we are to go for a kind word 
than a hard blow, perhaps they would learn 
to treat us better, if only for their own sake. 

Anyway, I felt happier as I lay down 
that night to rest; and it was a child’s act 
and a child’s words which had made me so. 


115 






CHAPTER VII. 


NEDDY TRAVELS 


0 


NEDDY 


CHAPTER VII. 

I TRAVEL. TO ALL PARTS OF ENGLAND, AND MAKE 
ACQUAINTANCE WITH EVERY VARIETY OF PEOPLE 

AT LENGTH I GO TO LONDON REGENT 

STREET IN MIDDAY A RECOGNITION I MAKE 

MY FIRST APPEARANCE IN A POLICE STATION, 

AND PROVE MYSELF A VALUABLE WITNESS I 

TAKE UP MY ABODE IN THE “ GREEN YARD.” 

I was aroused very early the next morn- 
ing from the enjoyment of my quiet sleep 
by a sharp kick in the side. Jumping up 
as quickly as possible, I saw my master 
standing by me ready dressed. Putting the 
bridle over my head, he led me to where 
the rest of the party were sitting having 
their breakfast. They did not offer any- 
thing to me, however, and I was obliged 
to content myself with a few bites of grass 
from the roadside. To judge from the 
eager talking that went on, some very im- 
portant matter was being decided. In a few 
119 


NEDDY 


moments, my master, throwing some light 
articles for sale over my shoulders, jumped 
upon my back himself, and, saying good- 
bye to his companions, set me off at a good 
sharp trot. We had not gone very far when 
my master suddenly pulled me up, and 
seemed hesitating whether he should turn 
me around or not. I was wondering what 
we were to do next, when I saw a man com- 
ing toward me, whom I recognized as a 
workman occasionally employed on my dear 
old master’s farm. Oh, how my heart beat 
for joy! “ Now,” thought I, “ who knows 
but he may deliver me? ” and I came to a 
dead halt, intending, when the man passed 
by, to endeavour to attract his notice. But 
my rider was apparently aware of my in- 
tention, for he gave me two or three such 
frightful kicks, that, almost sick with the 
pain, I found myself obliged to go on in 
spite of myself ; but I sidled up as much as 
possible to the side of the road where the 
man was walking. 

He looked hard at us as we passed, and 
something seemed to attract his attention. 

120 


NEDDY 


“Hallo!” he said; “you seem to have 
got a smart-looking donkey there.” 

“ The most obstinate brute that ever was 
seen,” returned my master; and he took 
advantage of the observation to give me 
some severe cuts over the head, which so 
stupefied me that I could not understand 
what the man next said. There seemed to 
be a long and very angry discussion; but 
it ended by the man walking away, and 
my master urging me on to the extent of 
my powers in the opposite direction. How 
grieved I felt then! how angry with the 
man for his stupidity in not recognizing me 
and taking me home! I was yet to learn 
what an important influence over my future 
destiny this chance meeting was to have. 

It would be tedious to endeavour to give 
any detailed account of my present mode of 
life; indeed, one day was so like another 
that to describe one is to describe all. I had 
f alien into the hands of a peddler, who went 
through the country, now selling one kind 
of goods, now another, as the case might 
be, to suit the various tastes of the different 

121 


NEDDY 


communities in the neighbourhood of which 
we found ourselves. When I was first in 
his possession, we went miles and miles away 
from my own dear home; in fact, I soon 
lost all recollection of where it was, or in 
what direction I should have to turn to re- 
gain it. It was a cold, bleak district where 
we settled first, — very, very unlike the 
warm climate to which I had been accus- 
tomed, with its rich meadow-land and soft 
green grass, and bright sunlight. Here, 
where we now lived, there was nothing to 
be seen but smoke and dirt. The very grass 
was all cinders. 

At first I was half -scared out of my 
senses by the strange sights and noises 
which I saw and heard around me. At 
every turn in the road there seemed to burst 
forth fire and smoke; and as to the clank, 
clank, clank, bang, bang, bang, burr, burr, 
burr, it was unceasing from morning till 
night. And then the people, so unlike those 
amongst whom I had spent my early days. 
No clean smock-frocks and ruddy, healthy- 
looking faces; but grim, dirty men, 

122 


NEDDY 


wretched-looking women, and miserable 
children! It was quite sad to look at them, 
as I went from door to door, dragging my 
load of vegetables, or fish, or what not ; and 
then to hear the swearing and the quarrel- 
ling, the bartering and the chaffering, — 
oh, how unlike my mistress’s sweet voice! 
how different from those quiet drives in the 
green lanes of my native country! Ah! 
now that it was too late, how bitterly I re- 
pented me of my past misconduct, and 
thought, if the time had but to come over 
again, how differently I would behave! It 
is of no use, however, to expect that any one 
will profit by my experience. It is just one 
of those things that every one will insist 
upon buying for themselves; and then, 
when they have to pay the bill, they grum- 
ble, and say: “ How very dear it comes! ” 
Of course it does; but perhaps it is as well, 
— we should not value it else. We never 
do value anything that we get cheap. I 
often used to hear my master say that. 

“ Put on a good price, and keep to it, 
Betsy,” he would tell his wife. 

123 


NEDDY 


“ But really, Jem, this or that is not 
worth the sum you name,” his wife would 
occasionally reply, for my new mistress was 
a good-hearted woman. 

“ A thing is worth what it will fetch,” 
my master would answer. “ Offer it for 
a lower price, and the people will suspect 
it to be bad directly.” 

And so, often and often, when I stood 
before the doors of the cottages with whose 
inhabitants my master did business, I had 
to listen to such lies and impositions that 
my heart grieved for the poor people who 
were made such easy dupes. But what 
could I do? I could only turn my head 
around, and look up gravely in their faces, 
and wag my ears; and then they said — 
if they said anything to me at all — “ How 
troublesome the flies are to your poor 
donkey to-day!” and they did not know 
that I was not thinking about myself, but 
wondering how it came to be how they were 
so quickly tickled by a little skilful flattery. 
There are worse flies, thought I, than those 
which are biting me! 


124 


NEDDY 


I had wished to see life, and I saw it now 
in some of its saddest and most miserable 
forms. Oh, what places we went into ! My 
stable at my dear old master’s was a palace, 
compared with the homes of hundreds of 
men, women, and children with whom I now 
made acquaintance; and then the want of 
light and air, — why, sometimes I could 
hardly see how to pick my way along the 
broken pavement ; and as to air, — I could 
not have got up a bray, no, not if you had 
promised me a feed of grain to do so. How 
human beings could live in such an atmos- 
phere, I knew not. It almost killed me to 
drag my load along in it. 

But we did not always stay in the neigh- 
bourhood of these great towns. Sometimes 
we would go long journeys across the coun- 
try, visiting fairs and other merrymakings. 
And these were times of peculiar hardship 
to me: morning, noon, night, I was always 
at work, and hardly a moment was allowed 
for me to snatch a hasty meal. No sooner 
had I dragged the cart, filled with articles 
for sale, to its appointed post than, instead 
125 


NEDDY 


of being allowed to stand to rest and amuse 
myself by falling into the state of half- 
dreamy unconsciousness so delightful to all 
our race, I was taken out of the shafts, a 
saddle placed upon my back, and then I was 
let out by the hour to as many mischievous 
urchins as chose to take their full penny- 
worth of pleasure by the kicking and beat- 
ing which seem to constitute the peculiar 
delights of a donkey ride. 

A terrible time I had of it on those fair 
days and race-grounds, for, being a more 
than usually handsome and powerful beast 
of my kind, I was the one invariably chosen 
by “plucky” fellows, who wished for “a 
lark; ” and small pity they had on Neddy’s 
legs or sides ; and, as to trying to kick them 
off, it was only to add to my misery and 
their fun. The more I kicked, the faster 
fell their blows, and the louder rang their 
laughter; and if sometimes, in despair, I 
turned sulky, and refused to go at all, it 
only increased my discomfort by giving time 
to two or three of my tormentors to get up 
at once, when, with hooting, and shouts, and 

126 








NEDDY 


jeers, I should at length be obliged to give 
in and gallop ignominiously my appointed 
round. 

But there was one very important good 
which arose to me out of all this trouble. 
My master, seeing the admiration I excited 
by my handsome shape and form, took the 
greatest pains to make me look as attractive 
as possible, in the hope, I suppose, of in- 
creasing his earnings. My coat had by this 
time recovered from the ill-treatment it had 
received, and, by dint of a good dressing, 
could be made to acquire something of its 
original gloss; and as I now occasionally 
got a feed of grain, my appearance was 
altogether plumper and more like myself. 
But it must not be supposed that I was 
merely delighted to hear myself admired. 
I will not deny that it was far pleasanter 
to know that I was no longer the wretched, 
dirty, miserable, half -starved wretch that I 
had been for so many months; but my great 
cause for rejoicing in the change was that 
I thought, if by any chance I should ever 


127 


NEDDY 


meet with my dear mistress, it was possible 
that she now might recognize me. 

In all my trouble, I had never for one 
moment forgotten her, and the hope that 
I might yet see her again was the one bright 
spot that enlightened many a dark and 
dreary hour. Ah! how constantly I looked 
out for her sweet face! how eagerly my ears 
listened to catch the sound of her well-re- 
membered voice! And then my heart would 
die away within me, as I thought, “ How is 
it possible that she should remember me? 
There is not a trace of her Neddy left in 
this ragged, dirty, jaded donkey; ” and I 
would hang down my ears, and put my tail 
closer between my legs, as I felt the utter 
hopelessness of all chance of escaping from 
my present slavery. 

With the knowledge, however, that I was 
recovering something of my former appear- 
ance, my spirits rose, and I became more 
than ever eager for the meeting with my 
mistress; but it never seemed to come. I 
would stand in the market-place of a town, 
and hundreds and hundreds of people 

128 


NEDDY 


passed by me, and I would look wistfully 
in their faces; but they were nothing to 
me, nor I to them. I would visit quiet coun- 
try houses, and I hoped and thought — who 
knew? — she might be among the guests; 
but no, we went and came, but we never saw 
the one being who was ever present to my 
recollection. 

Time passed on, — I cannot tell you how 
long it was, I have no means of reckoning, 
— but at length our journeyings seemed to 
take a direction different from any they had 
taken before. We had left the land of fire 
and smoke, we had passed by the quiet vil- 
lages, in the midst of green fields and nar- 
row lanes and high hedges, and we came 
upon a country of endless, endless houses. 
What a stir, and bustle, and confusion! I 
had never seen anything like it, and I felt 
quite bewildered with the countless carriages 
and people that were passing me by on every 
side, — street after street, street after street, 
and every street as crowded as the one we 
had just left. Lights flaring, carts rattling, 
people pushing. I could hardly get along 
129 


NEDDY 


for terror and surprise, and at every mo- 
ment I expected some of the great ponder- 
ous wagons or overwhelming-looking omni- 
buses would run over me and the slight little 
cart I drew, and crunch us both to atoms. 
If this was London, it was a very horrid 
place ! 

But use is second nature, and I soon be- 
came accustomed to all the sights and sounds 
that had at first so much alarmed me, and 
could walk down a street in the full tide 
of daily traffic as unconcernedly as I should 
have wandered across a solitary common. 

I had thought my life a very hard one 
when travelling about the country to visit 
the different fair and race grounds; but it 
was happiness itself compared with the 
wretched monotony of my present experi- 
ence, with its unceasing toil, scanty food, 
and dirty shelter. In the country I could 
at least have the ground, such as it was, to 
lie upon, room to stretch myself and roll, 
air to breathe, occasional good meals of 
grass, and a drink of pure, fresh water; 
but in London I was forced to content mv- 

130 


NEDDY 


self with a dark hole of a stable, so small 
I could hardly turn myself, and so dirty it 
made me sick; and I thought myself well 
off on those days when I could appease my 
hunger with a few stale, decaying cabbage 
leaves, and quench my thirst with a drink 
of half -putrid water. 

And then the work was incessant. At 
earliest break of day I was harnessed to 
the carriage I had to draw, — a sort of truck 
on wheels, with a thing like a door laid all 
along on the top ; and then my master would 
seat himself in front, and off we would rat- 
tle, I trotting over the stones as fast as my 
poor tired legs would carry me; for it was 
an important object to get first to a great 
market held in the midst of London, and 
so take up a good place for purchasing such 
fruit and vegetables and flowers as should 
not be judged good enough for the rich 
customers to Covent Garden. 

If I had not felt so depressed and down- 
hearted, I might often have been amused by 
the bustling scene around me. It was a 
pretty sight, there is no denying it, to see 
13i 


NEDDY 


the carts coming in piled with their fresh 
and fragrant loads, women with baskets of 
the most deliciously scented flowers, and 
men with every variety of luscious-looking 
fruit. Oh, how my mouth would water as 
the carts passed by me full of fresh carrots 
or turnips, or soft new green stuff! How 
I looked and longed that some kind hand 
would give me just one taste! But no; I 
must stand hour after hour in the midst 
of all this plenty, faint and weary, and then 
think myself happy if an old yellow cabbage 
— so bad that the very slugs rejected it — 
was thrown to me as my morning meal. 
How often would I then look back to my 
early home, and remember all my grum- 
bling discontent if I had had a little less 
grain than usual, or if the hay might not 
have been quite so sweet as suited my fas- 
tidious palate! There is nothing like want 
and hunger to cure daintiness; and I think 
it would be a very good thing if some of 
those who are always complaining and re- 
pining if things are not quite to their mind, 


132 


NEDDY 


should make trial for awhile of this sharp- 
ener to their appetites. 

When my master had completed his 
morning purchases, which varied with the 
season of the year, we used to quit the 
market, and start upon our daily rounds, 
making our way through miles of streets, 
till we came to a part of the city that bore 
some faint resemblance to a country town. 

The houses were much lower than those 
in the streets through which we passed. 
They stood alone, or in twos and threes, in 
little gardens of their own ; and they seemed 
to be inhabited by persons more like those 
we had been accustomed to deal with in the 
country towns than the ladies and gentle- 
men I would occasionally see stepping into 
their grand carriages as we passed through 
the great streets and squares. I used to wish 
they would have dealt with us instead ; then, 
indeed, there might have been some hope 
of my finding my dear mistress; but how 
was it possible I should see her in the out- 
of-the-way suburbs where we plied our 
morning work, or in the lowest streets of 
133 


NEDDY 


the metropolis, where we were always to 
be found at night? Morning dawned after 
morning, night closed after night, — still 
the same round of toil, and still no hope of 
escape. 

My master had had a more than usually 
successful morning’s round; my load was 
disposed of, and we were returning leisurely 
down Regent Street, when he was suddenly 
accosted by a man who was walking on the 
pavement. Being in a particularly good 
humour, my master returned the greeting 
cordially enough, and the two friends soon 
agreed to go together to some saloon near, 
to take a glass to keep out the cold, and to 
drink to their mutual prosperity. 

“ Here, you see to the donkey, Tom,” 
said my master to a boy who generally went 
his rounds with him ; “ and do not you let 
nobody touch him nor the cart till I come 
back again. Do you hear, Tom? ” 

“Yes, I hear,” was the somewhat sulky 
reply; and, drawing me up close to the 
curbstone, where I should be as much as pos- 
sible out of the way, my master, saying he 

‘ 134 


NEDDY 


should not be gone long, turned up a narrow 
street with his companion, and was soon out 
of sight. 

Tired with my morning’s round, and hav- 
ing had but a scanty breakfast, I was glad 
enough of the rest, and was just composing 
myself to a quiet sleep, when I suddenly 
heard a voice, which made every limb in my 
body tremble with joy, exclaim, eagerly: 

“Why, Neddy, Neddy! dear Neddy! 
Do you remember me? ” 

Remember her! my own dear, dear mis- 
tress! Could I ever forget her? Half -wild 
with delight, I forgot where I was, and, 
dragging the cart after me on to the pave- 
ment, I began a series of ecstatic brays, rub- 
bing my nose at the same time against the 
kind hand that was held out to me, and en- 
deavouring to show, by every means in my 
power, my unbounded joy at again behold- 
ing my beloved mistress. 

“Oh, look, papa, papa!” exclaimed my 
mistress. “ Neddy knows me! Neddy re- 
members me! Good Neddy! Dear old 
Neddy! ” 

135 


NEDDY 


In her delight at seeing me, my mistress 
had, like myself, forgotten that Regent 
Street, in the middle of the day, is rather 
a public place in which to give way to out- 
bursts of affection. Already a crowd had 
gathered around us, some wondering, some 
laughing, some standing by in silent curi- 
osity to see what would be the end of this 
strange greeting; cabmen drawing up to 
enjoy the fun; omnibus drivers and con- 
ductors lingering on their way, and looking 
back to see what all the confusion was 
about; every moment the mob increased, 
swelled, as it was sure to be, by the crowd 
of dirty boys and idle loungers that in Lon- 
don springs up at a moment’s notice, no 
one knows how, no one knows from where. 

“ Annie, my dear Annie, this is no place 
for you! ” exclaimed a voice that I did not 
recognize; and, looking up, I saw a fine, 
tall, handsome-looking man, who drew my 
mistress’s hand away from me, and placed 
it on his own arm. 

“ Papa dear, will you see about Neddy? ” 
said my mistress, looking around, evidently 

136 


NEDDY 


frightened and bewildered by the confusion 
around her, and endeavouring to make her 
way through the crowd of bystanders. 

But having so lately discovered her, I was 
in no humour to let her go ; and utterly dis- 
regarding every impediment in my way, I 
pushed on, braying loudly as I went. Peals 
of laughter greeted my attempt. 

“ Make way for the lady! make way for 
the donkey!” “Hurrah, Neddy, hurrah!” 
“Do it again, Neddy! do it again!” 
shouted the boys; whilst, encouraged by 
their cheers, I pushed and pushed more 
strenuously than before. 

Louder and louder rose the peals of 
laughter; higher and higher swelled the 
cheers; and, thinking I was doing the most 
appropriate thing possible, I redoubled my 
efforts to keep up with my mistress, when, 
just at this moment, who should come down 
the street but my late master! 

“Hallo!” he exclaimed, with a coarse 
oath; “what is all this row about? Who 
is interfering with my property? ” and he 


137 


NEDDY 


put out his hand to seize me fiercely by the 
rein. 

“Stay! stay!” said Mr. Morton, in a 
voice so calm and firm that I felt the hand 
upon my bridle tremble. “ I rather think it 
is you, my man, who have been interfering 
with my property. Here,” added Mr. Mor- 
ton, turning to two or three of the police, 
who had by this time made their way to the 
spot, and were actively employed in keep- 
ing back the crowd, “ I want your assistance' 
here. I have reason to believe that this 
donkey, which belongs to my daughter, was 
stolen from me three years ago by this man. 
I give him into custody on this charge, and 
require that you meantime should take the 
donkey into safe keeping.” 

It would be impossible to describe the 
man’s rage as he listened to these words. 
He swore, he stamped, he abused Mr. Mor- 
ton in every angry epithet he could think 
of; and yet all the time he trembled, and 
did not once dare to look his accuser in the 
face. Directing the policemen to bring 
their prisoner to a police station, where he 

138 


NEDDY 


could substantiate his charge, Mr. Morton 
jumped into a cab, and was driven quickly 
from the spot, leaving me in the hands of 
the policemen, and bewildered by the rapid- 
ity of events which, long as they have taken 
to tell, passed in the space of a few minutes. 

My first feeling at finding that my dear 
mistress had again departed was one of un- 
mitigated terror, and I looked around in 
trembling dread that now, being once more 
at the mercy of my brutal master, I should 
be made to suffer some horrible punishment 
for having thus given way to my delight at 
seeing my long-lost friend. But I soon 
found that, for the present, at any rate, 
I had nothing to dread. Struggle as he 
would, my master was in stronger hands 
than his own. He might curse and swear 
at me, but he had no power to do more, as, 
led along gently by a tall, grave, powerful- 
looking man, and followed by a crowd of 
noisy, hooting, cheering boys, I slowly made 
my way down street after street, until, 
finally, I was stopped before the door of 
one of the largest police stations of the 
139 


NEDDY 


metropolis. Here my master disappeared 
from my view, whilst I remained standing 
in the street, under the charge of my grave- 
looking conductor, and surrounded by a 
continually increasing crowd, to whom I was 
evidently an object of the greatest amuse- 
ment and curiosity. 

Some time had passed in this manner, 
when the policeman who led me was joined 
by one of his companions, who, having said 
some words very quickly to him, of which 
I only caught “ donkey and cart,” there was 
a renewed bustle and stir around me, and 
then the traces that fastened me to the cart 
were unhooked, and I was led through the 
crowd, now cheering louder than before, 
toward a doorway, so blocked up by people 
that I felt quite frightened, and refused 
to go on. 

“Come, Neddy, come along,” said the 
policeman who had held me hitherto. 
“ There is no one who will hurt you here ; 
you need not be afraid.” And at the same 
time he desired his companion to go on, and 
make a way through the crowd. 


140 


NEDDY 


Encouraged by the kind voice in which 
he spoke, and by seeing that the people fell 
back right and left at the orders of his com- 
panion, I plucked up my courage, and 
stepped through the door into a passage, 
broad and paved with stones like those on 
which people walk in the streets of London. 
I had never been in such an odd place before, 
and I did not half like it, and was more than 
once inclined to turn back; but the man 
kept a firm but gentle hold of me, leading 
me on, till at last two great doors were 
thrown open, and I found myself in a large 
room filled with people, sitting on benches 
raised one above another. I was quite bewil- 
dered at the sight of so many heads, — more 
especially as at my first coming in there was 
a general buzz of voices, and all eyes were 
evidently fixed on myself. 

A loud cry of “ Silence! silence!” gave 
me a moment to recover myself, and then 
I heard a grave voice say: 

“ Let the donkey judge for himself. 
You are at liberty to call him,” added the 
gentleman, turning to my late master, whom 
141 


NEDDY 


I now for the first time perceived standing 
in an open space in the centre of the room. 

“ Here, Neddy — Neddy — come here, 
Neddy. There is a good donkey, come 
here,” said the man in a voice of the most 
insinuating gentleness; but as I had never 
heard him speak so before, no wonder I 
did not recognize its tones, and the only 
answer I made was to hang down my ears 
and plant my tail very firmly between my 
legs. 

There was a general burst of laughter 
that not the presence of that grave-looking 
gentleman, nor the reiterated cries of “ Si- 
lence! silence in the court, there! ” could in 
any measure suppress; while a voice ex- 
claimed : “ He has had the donkey, that is 
clear enough, for the poor brute thinks he 
is going to beat him now. Hush! hush! 
See what he is going to do next. Here 
comes the lady. Silence! Hush! hush!” 

“ Now, madam, it is your turn,” I heard 
the grave-looking gentleman say; and in 
another moment I saw my dear mistress rise 
up from a seat by his side, and, leaning on 

142 













NEDDY 


the arm of her father, come down into the 
open court. 

“Neddy! dear Neddy!” she said, just 
in the way that she used to call me up to 
the fence years ago. I forgot all my past 
misery, and, thinking only of my joy at 
beholding her, I set up such a bray as I had 
never brayed in all my life before! Oh, 
how the people shouted with laughter! The 
very judge could not resist the infection of 
their merriment, and gave way in spite of 
himself. 

Why, what had I done that was so ridic- 
ulous? I could only express my joy with 
the voice which nature had given me. If 
it was not so sweet and gentle as some of 
theirs, that was not my fault. At any other 
moment my self-love might have been seri- 
ously wounded; but now I could only think 
of my delight, and, breaking away from the 
policemen who held me, I went right up 
to my mistress, and, rubbing my nose 
against her hand, I whinnied out my happi- 
ness, entreating her as best I could to let 
me stay with her now and for ever. 

143 


NEDDY 


There was no laughter in the court then; 
and I have heard my mistress say since that 
there were tears in many an eye. Real, 
genuine affection is somewhat rare in this 
world, and, when it is found, it goes straight 
to the heart even of the most hardened ; and 
there are few so bad that they will make fun 
of the evidence of pure, unselfish love. 

There was a minute’s pause, and then I 
heard the grave man say, in tones of such 
kindness as showed his interest in my fate: 

“ I am quite satisfied, madam. No wit- 
nesses that could be produced could speak 
half so strongly to the truth of your case 
as does the affectionate remembrance of the 
poor dumb beast. That the donkey is the 
one that was stolen from you three years 
ago, there can be no doubt. All that re- 
mains to be proved is, who did the deed; and 
that, I am afraid, with all his sagacity, the 
animal will not be able to tell us. I shall 
send the case to trial; and in the mean- 
while,” turning to Mr. Morton, “ it is for 
you to produce the evidence that the man 


144 


NEDDY 

now charged with the theft was the person 
who stole the donkey.” 

“ I have no doubt whatever that I shall 
be able to do so,” replied Mr. Morton. 

“ You can remove the donkey out of 
court,” said the grave gentleman, and then 
he turned to my late master, who was stand- 
ing dogged and silent, in charge of two of 
the police, and proceeded to address him 
in terms which I did not understand, my 
whole attention being now fixed upon my- 
self, and upon the thought of being sepa- 
rated from my dear mistress, whom I had 
vainly hoped I was never to leave again. 
In my anxiety to remain by her side, I quite 
forgot that I was in a court of justice, and 
that, as a well-bred English donkey, it was 
my duty to submit myself to the laws of 
my land, and I struggled hard to pull away 
from the policeman’s hold, and to follow 
my mistress, who was now led back by her 
father to the seat from which she had risen. 

I do not know how the struggle might 
have ended ; but, seeing that my endeavours 
to get free were disturbing the whole court, 
145 


NEDDY 


my mistress once more came up to me, and, 
patting me gently on the forehead: “ Oh, 
Neddy,” she said, “ this is very naughty of 
you! Come with me.” How could I dis- 
obey? 

“You may leave him,” she said to my 
conductor; “he will go away with me di- 
rectly.” 

Go away with her? Of course I would, 
to the world’s end. My first journey, how- 
ever, was destined to be a much shorter one ; 
for, no sooner had I quietly walked by her 
side through the court-house into the pas- 
sage than, placing my rein in the hand of 
the policeman: 

“ He will follow you now, I think,” she 
said. “ Go, Neddy; there is a good Neddy. 
I will come to see you very soon. Good-bye, 
Neddy!” and, patting me kindly, before I 
had time to look around, she was gone. 

A crowd, little short of that which had 
accompanied me to the court, was awaiting 
my return, and eager inquiries greeted my 
conductor as to the result of the trial. 
Every one talked so fast and so loud that 

146 


NEDDY 


I could not make out much of what was 
said; but I gathered sufficient to make me 
very happy in the feeling I should soon be 
restored to my pleasant home, and that 
meanwhile I was to be left in the care of 
my present guardian, whose kindness 
toward me had already impressed me 
greatly in his favour. 

I gleaned, too, from what I heard, that 
the result of the trial depended mainly on 
the evidence of some man who was supposed 
to have seen me soon after I was stolen 
from my dear mistress. 

This set my brain working; and, as I 
walked by the side of my conductor toward 
my new place of abode, I tried hard to recall 
all the events of the past three years, and 
think whether there was any one person 
whom I could remember who could have rec- 
ognized me in the time of my degradation. 
In vain ! in vain ! I could not recall one old 
friend who could bear testimony to my iden- 
tity. 

Suddenly there came upon me a flash of 
light, and I bethought me of the man who, 
147 


NEDDY 


on that wretched morning after my capture, 
had refused, as I then thought, to rescue me 
from my dreaded slavery. Who knew but 
that now he might come forward, and, rec- 
ognizing my master as the man he had then 
accosted, might for ever set me free from his 
power? 

It was a bright and happy thought, and 
kept me up through several long, long days 
of dreary suspense, — days rendered so 
much the longer that I had nothing what- 
ever to do, but to ruminate sadly over the 
past. Not but that I was comfortable 
enough in my present abode, and had plenty 
to eat and to drink; but I had been so ac- 
customed of late to an active, stirring life 
that I got tired of standing hour after hour 
tied up to a manger, with no one to speak 
to but a few chance companions, who, like 
myself, were condemned to a temporary 
imprisonment. We had all our griefs and 
sorrows, and could all, no doubt, have told 
some strange and wonderful adventures; 
but, one and all, we shrunk from anything 
like fellowship, and, shutting up in our own 

148 


NEDDY 


hearts our hopes or our fears, awaited, with 
what patience we could, the verdict which 
was to open to us our new and unknown 
career. 


149 

































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i 




































* ' V V 

" 


i W 

V \ < 

* * 


v 





























CHAPTER VIII. 


NEDDY GETS HOME AGAIN 


























































NEDDY 


CHAPTER VIII. 

THE TRIAD COMES TO AN END AN OLD FRIEND 

VISITS MY STABLE I TAKE MY FIRST RAILROAD 

TRIP AND FIND MYSELF IN WELL - REMEMBERED 
SCENES HOME AGAIN CONCLUSION. 

As days passed on, and still I neither 
saw nor heard anything of my dear mistress, 
my heart misgave me. Was it possible, 
after all, that she had forsaken me? Would 
she give me back into the power of that 
dreadful man? Oh, how I wished that I 
had not suffered myself to be led out of 
the court ! that I had stayed by her side, and 
never lost sight of her until I was once more 
in the pleasant green fields of my early 
home. It was in vain to regret the past. 

I might fume and fret, but it would make 
no difference to the tiresome present. If I 
could but have released myself from the 
bridle that bound me to my stall, I would 
153 


NEDDY 


have made my escape from the stable, and 
never rested, I thought, until I had once 
again found my mistress. Happily for me, 
I was not permitted to accomplish my ob- 
ject, or my second flight might have been 
attended with as disastrous consequences as 
my first; all that I got by my efforts to 
escape was to draw upon myself the atten- 
tion of my guardians, and make them secure 
me more carefully than before. 

I hated them then, — foolish donkey that 
I was ! — but I have owed them such a debt 
of gratitude ever since that nothing pains 
me more than to hear a word said against 
the police. Let every one speak as they 
find; I say, they are a fine, brave body of 
men, who have a very difficult duty to per- 
form, and do it faithfully and well. 

But to come back to myself. I was stand- 
ing musing, I am afraid, in a very discon- 
tented state of mind, when I heard the door 
of the stable open. Thinking, however, it 
was only one of the men come to attend 
to their work, I did not even trouble myself 
to turn my head, until suddenly I felt a 

154 


NEDDY 


hand laid on my shoulder, and heard a voice 
I thought I remembered say, sadly enough: 

“ Why, Neddy! who would have thought 
that you and I should have met again in 
such a place as this; and you so altered? 
Poor old Neddy! how badly you have been 
used! ” 

Old Neddy, indeed! My heart swelled 
with such mortified vanity at the name that 
for the moment — ungrateful that I was! 
— I felt more vexation than pleasure as I 
recognized Thomas standing by my side. 
But it was only a momentary feeling, and, 
looking up in his face, I endeavoured to 
show my pleasure at seeing any one con- 
nected with old times. 

“ Ah, Neddy! ” continued Thomas, “ so 
you know me, do you? It is more than I 
should have done by you. You do look 
dreadful bad. Why, I shall never get that 
rough, shaggy coat of yours right again. 
No, not though I groom you for hours at 
a time.” 

Thomas groom me again! I never 
thought of the rudeness of the speech in 
155 


NEDDY 


my exceeding joy at hearing I was to be 
again in his care. Ah! then I must be free 
from my detested master. I must be going 
back to the home and the mistress I loved 
so well. 

“ So it is all over, is it? ” inquired a police- 
man, who at that moment entered the stable 
and proceeded to unfasten my bridle. 

‘'Yes; it was decided some hours ago,” 
said Thomas. “ It was a queer trial, was it 
not? ” 

“ The queerest I have ever heard,” re- 
turned the policeman ; “ and that is saying 
a good deal, for strange stories come to our 
ears. If it had not been for this donkey 
here, ten to one your master would never 
have gained his cause. The man told a won- 
derful plausible tale. But this dumb beast 
here told a better. You should have been 
in court that day. It was a sight to remem- 
ber, and there was many a one who thought 
it no shame to be seen with tears in their 
eyes ; and as to Mr. Wickharde, I never seed 
him so moved in all my life. That donkey 


156 


NEDDY 


is a first-rate witness. For my part, I would 
rather have him than half the men I know.” 

This testimony in my favour seemed to 
raise me in the estimation of Thomas, for 
he patted me far more kindly than before, 
saying: “ Poor old Neddy! He will be 
glad enough to be amongst his old friends 
again.” 

“How did the trial go?” asked the po- 
liceman. “ I wanted to hear the end; but 
I was on duty here this morning, and could 
not manage it. I almost thought they 
would have sent for the donkey, and I meant 
to have taken him down myself.” 

“ It did not last long,” returned Thomas ; 
“ there was no question about the donkey 
being Mr. Morton’s property. The only 
point was whether Jackson stole him or not; 
fortunately, he had been met by one of mas- 
ter’s own workmen the morning after the 
theft. Jackson was riding the donkey at 
that moment, and Mills felt sure he recog- 
nized it by the star on its forehead. It is 
a very peculiar mark, you see,” continued 
Thomas, as he turned my head to the light, 
157 


NEDDY 


and pushed back some shaggy hairs. “ Jack- 
son had never thought of concealing it; and 
it was rare and lucky for Neddy he did 
forget. 

“ Mills had words with Jackson at the time 
about the donkey ; but the man rode off, and 
Mills did not like to stop him, for he did 
not know our donkey had been stolen ; how- 
ever, he came on straight to our house, and 
told his story; but master was away at the 
moment, and so time was lost; and when 
the Squire returned, and a hue and cry was 
raised, Jackson had got clean away, and 
from that day to this we have never been 
able to get clue nor trace of him, nor of the 
donkey neither. 

“ And it is wonderful, I say, how all this 
matter has been found out; and it just 
shows me that, sooner or later, God, who 
watches over all, will bring our crimes to 
light. Murder will out, they say; and I 
think theft must be much the same. Well, 
of course, as soon as mistress claimed Neddy 
here, the first thing to do was to send for 
Mills, and he swore to the donkey and swore 

158 


NEDDY 


to the man, and the verdict was given in 
favour of my master.” 

“Ah!” thought I; “I see it all now; 
why, how stupid I have been! So that was 
the man who came in the other day when 
I was eating my grain, and I was so cross 
at being disturbed, and so sulky, I would 
hardly let him look at my head; and, after 
all, he had only come to save me, and I, 
like a fool, was angry at a momentary in- 
convenience. Neddy,” thought I, “ will you 
never learn wisdom by experience? will you 
never understand your own utter igno- 
rance,” — and I gave such a great sigh that 
Thomas broke off his speech suddenly, and, 
looking at me, added, with a smile: 

“ Well, I should like to know what the 
beast has got in his head now. He always 
had such a queer way with him ; I believe he 
understands every word we say. If he could 
but speak, maybe it would be a strange 
story he would have to tell us.” 

Strange? Strange indeed! Ah, you men! 
with all your wisdom, it is but little you 


159 


NEDDY 


know of what is passing through the minds 
and hearts of poor dumb beasts. 

The idea of freedom was still so new to 
me that I could hardly realize the fact that 
I was safe from the brutal treatment of the 
man whom, for the last three years, I had 
been forced to call my master; and, as 
Thomas led me out of my place of confine- 
ment, and I found myself once more in the 
streets of London, I turned and looked 
about me in nervous dread, fearing that I 
should suddenly hear the sound of Jack- 
son’s hated voice, and feel myself in the 
grasp of his powerful hand. 

“So, whoo, Neddy! gently, my man!” 
exclaimed Thomas, in the reassuring voice 
of old times. “ No need to be afraid now; 
there is nobody coming to hurt you. Come 
on, old fellow, come on. Come, make haste, 
and do not put your tail between your legs 
in that miserable way. I ain’t a-going to 
flog you, Neddy. Why, you are making a 
sight of yourself and me, too!” 

True enough. I felt I looked a pitiful, 
craven-spirited wretch; but I had been so 

160 


NEDDY 


long accustomed to find that a word and 
a blow went together that it had become a 
sort of habit of nature to endeavour to pro- 
tect myself from the assault, and I could 
have no more helped cowering down and 
holding my tail tight between my legs than 
I could have prevented myself from blink- 
ing if I had been forced to look suddenly 
at the sun. 

However, seeing that Thomas was vexed 
at my miserable appearance, and not wish- 
ing to mortify the kind-hearted old man, I 
endeavoured to pluck up courage, and to 
trot along by his side with somewhat of the 
air and spirit of bygone days; and, as I 
found that we passed street after street, and 
square after square, without stop or moles- 
tation, I began gradually to acquire confi- 
dence, and to believe in the reality of my 
deliverance. Having gone a considerable 
distance, we at length arrived at the en- 
trance to one of the great railway stations. 

“ Now, my man,” said Thomas, as he 
pulled me up for a moment, and gave me 
an encouraging pat, “ do not you go for to 

161 


NEDDY 


make a fool of me and yourself ; you are 
going to see queer sights and hear queer 
sounds, so make up your mind to behave 
like a sensible beast, as you are. There, do 
you hear that? that is one of them,” added 
Thomas, as a shriek was suddenly heard 
close by our side, followed by screeches, little 
less discordant, ending in a series of agitated 
puffs, as if some mighty monster was giving 
up the ghost. 

“ Do you hear that, eh, Neddy? ” re- 
peated Thomas, as he turned my head in 
the direction of the noise, as if to accustom 
me to the sound. 

Hear it? Of course I did; but what did 
I care for it? Had I not been accustomed 
to almost every railway in the kingdom? 
and did not I know the sound of a loco- 
motive, bursting for very spite at being 
stopped in its mad career? 

Often and often, when I had been drawn 
up by the side of some country railroad sta- 
tion, had I speculated on the nature of those 
great iron animals that, day after day, and 
night after night, go tearing along across 

162 


NEDDY 


the country, dragging their loads after 
them, without ever so much as seeming to 
feel their weight, or ever showing symp- 
toms of vexation or weariness, except when 
they are pulled up in mid-career: then, in- 
deed, they squeak, and spit, and hiss, and 
make a pretty to-do. Ah! often and often 
as I had watched the locomotives, I had 
wished I had a skin like theirs. I envied 
them their strength and powers of endur- 
ance. I afraid of them? I should think 
not, indeed; and, quite proud to have an 
opportunity of reinstating myself in Thom- 
as’s good opinion, I held up my head, and, 
shaking my ears with an air of supreme 
indifference, I walked with dignified uncon- 
cern right into the shed where the engine 
was showering out a perfect cloud of white 
breath. 

“Well done, Neddy! good donkey!” 
said Thomas, patting me approvingly; and 
then he proceeded to lead me up the plat- 
form to where a great square box was stand- 
ing with its doors wide open. Into this dark, 
uncomfortable-looking cage he bade me 

163 


NEDDY 


enter; and now I confess a feeling of terror 
came over me, putting all my boasted cour- 
age at once to flight, and, turning around, 
I struggled hard to escape from Thomas’s 
hold. 

“ Whoo, hoo — gently, stoopid ! What is 
the matter? ” said Thomas, crossly. “ Why, 
what are you afraid of now? Who is going 
to hurt you, Neddy? ” 

Ah, indeed, who? “ How am I to tell,” 
thought I, “ shut up all alone in that dark 
prison? Who is to say whether I shall ever 
make my escape alive, or, if I am so fortu- 
nate, whether it may not be only to fall into 
the hands of my tormentor; or, worse still, 
who can say that he is not hidden in some 
dark corner of the box? ” 

“ Why, Neddy, one would think that you 
expected to find your late master there,” 
added Thomas, in a milder tone. 

“ And so I do,” thought I ; but how was 
I to tell him so? 

“ You need not be afraid, old donkey,” 
continued Thomas; “ he is far enough away 
now. He cannot get to you. Come, Neddy, 

164 


NEDDY 


come along; you will be quite safe and 
comfortable in there, and I will give you 
some grain to eat, and you may amuse your- 
self with it during your ride. Come, 
Neddy, come along.” 

It was impossible to misdoubt the kind 
tones of Thomas’s voice. 

“ If he meant any treachery against me, 
he would never speak like that,” thought I. 
“ Besides, have not I always found him a 
true, good friend? and is it not very wrong 
not to trust him now? ” and I turned around 
and looked into the box. It did not look 
pleasant, certainly; but, after all, I had 
lived in worse places; and so, summoning 
up my resolution, I put one step on the 
sloping board that led up to the cell. Dear 
me! how hollow my footfall sounded! I 
did not like it at all, and was all for draw- 
ing back again; but Thomas was by my 
side, and for very shame I did not dare act 
the part of a faithless coward; so I took 
another step, and then another. Still that 
hollow, hollow sound. But it was over now, 
and I stood inside the box, and looked 
165 


NEDDY 


around, half in terror, half in surprise. It 
was not so very bad, after all. 

There were nice, soft-looking sides to the 
stall, and plenty of clean straw to lie upon; 
and Thomas remembered his promise, and 
put some food in the manger, and then, ty- 
ing me up quite tight, he bade me good-bye. 
The doors were shut, and I was left alone 
in the darkness. Soon came a whistle, a 
shriek, and then a tremulous motion. Oh, 
how my heart sank within me! But there 
was no escape. I had but to submit, and 
bide my fate. Then my prison swang from 
side to side, and rush — rush — rush — roar 
— ro-r-r — ro-r-r-r — where were we go- 
ing? I knew nothing — remembered noth- 
ing — till suddenly a vibration, a stop. 
Whirr — whirr — whirr — fainter grew the 
sound till now all again was silence. My 
box swings around — I feel quite sick with 
fright, when open fly the doors, and there 
stands Thomas, looking so kind and pleas- 
ant. I had never loved his face so well be- 
fore. 

“ Well, Neddy,” he said, as he undid my 

166 


NEDDY 


halter, “it is all over. We shall soon he at 
home again. Ay, do you remember the old 
place? ” he added, as, leading me out of my 
prison, I stood still, sniffing in with delight 
the pure fresh air of heaven. 

Remember it? I should think so. I knew 
every inch of the ground as we drew toward 
home; and, forgetting all my troubles and 
sorrows, I kicked and jumped about as if 
I was once again the frolicsome donkey of 
years gone by. Even gruff old Thomas 
seemed moved by this evidence of my de- 
light; and, throwing off his usual dry, hard 
manner, he spoke to me so kindly that my 
heart leaped again and again with joy. But 
when at length the gates of my own dear, 
dear home came in sight, I could no longer 
contain myself, and trotted on as fast as 
my legs could carry me, Thomas letting go 
the rein, saying, with a smile: “You know 
your way now, old fellow, I guess, and will 
not run away again, I fancy.” 

Open went the gates, and then the avenue 
was before me, straight now up to the door- 
steps; and whom should I spy standing 
167 


NEDDY 


there, but my mistress, and her father, and 
the strange gentleman. Oh, how I kicked 
up my heels with joy, and then galloped 
up the drive as I never thought my old legs 
could have galloped morel 

You should have heard my mistress’s 
merry laugh. It was the pleasantest sound 
my ears had listened to for many a long 
day past ; and you should have seen how she 
patted and caressed me, and called me her 
“dear old Neddy — her good, faithful 
donkey;” adding: “We will never part 
again — no, never. Will we, Neddy?” 

I could only rub my nose against her soft 
white hand, and whinny out my joy and 
gratitude. My heart was too full; I almost 
thought it must have burst from my excess 
of happiness. And then, when she led me 
— she, my own dear mistress herself — to 
the field where I had spent all the first happy 
years of my existence, who may describe the 
emotions which overpowered me? First, I 
galloped around and around the field; then 
I threw myself down on the soft green 
grass, and rolled, and rolled, and rolled my- 

168 


NEDDY 


self again and again in my ecstasy. Then, 
at last, rising up, and looking around me, 
I seemed as if I could never tire of gazing 
at all the well-remembered spots. Every 
twig in the hedges seemed like some old 
familiar friend; and as the birds sang out 
their merry songs from the boughs of the 
trees which had so often sheltered me, it 
sounded to me as if they, too, were carolling 
forth my welcome home. 

Home! Ah! those who have never lost 
it can never fully appreciate its value; and, 
as I lay down to rest that night, it was with 
feelings of such overflowing gratitude as 
I know not how to express. 

I thought of my mother’s words, and how 
she had warned me against the self-willed, 
presumptuous spirit that had made me dis- 
contented with my happy lot. I remem- 
bered my own insolence to herself, and how 
I had mocked her when she had foretold 
that hard blows and bad fare would bring 
down my proud spirit, and make me under- 
stand the blessing of my quiet green fields 
and tranquil, peaceful home. 

169 


NEDDY 


“ I understand it all, sure enough, now,” 
thought I ; “ and can only humbly hope 
that what I have lost in strength and beauty, 
I may have gained in wisdom. Come what 
will, it shall not be my fault if I ever again 
lose the home I prized so lightly, regretted 
so deeply, and have regained so wonder- 
fully." 

And, full of happy thoughts and good 
resolutions, I fell into the most peaceful, 
refreshing sleep I had known for years. 

There is but little more to tell. My mis- 
tress and I have never parted since, though 
I do not live now in that home of which I 
have told you, and to which I was so much 
attached. I followed my dear mistress to a 
new home ; but the fields there were quite 
as green, and the sunshine was just as 
bright, and the air was just as pure, and 
I soon learned to love it quite as well as the 
place which I had left; and there I have 
grown old and gray and staid, and I cannot 
do much work now ; but I go out every day 
with a group of merry, happy, bright chil- 
dren, and sometimes one and sometimes an- 

170 


NEDDY 


other rides upon my back, and sometimes 
two panniers are thrown across my shoulders, 
and then, to judge by the joyous shouts and 
laughter, there must be several little folks 
all taking their ride together; and Neddy 
is a general favourite, and there is always 
some pleasant treat in store for the old 
donkey. No heavier whip ever falls upon 
his sides than a bunch of wild-flowers; and 
so well he loves those children that a daisy 
chain is bridle enough to guide him where 
they will. 

And his dear mistress, she is growing 
older too; but to Neddy she is still the same. 
He cannot see gray hairs, or graver brow; 
he only hears the well-remembered voice, 
the endearing tones of kindness, the gentle 
touch of that loving hand. She says Neddy 
shall never leave her; that while she lives 
he shall never want a home ; and that, dying, 
she will commit him to her children’s care. 

THE END. 


171 


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